Four-time winner of the African Cup of Nations, Ghana (0-1) failed to get a shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

However, all did not go well for Italy. Midfielder Francesco Totti, who is recovering from a broken left leg, was taken off early in the second half after being injured in a challenge with John Pantsil.

Tim Cahill brought long-awaited joy to Australia on Monday.

A second-half substitute, Cahill scored goals in the 84th and 89th minute and John Aloisi added one in two minutes of extra time to lead the Socceroos to their first-ever World Cup win, a 3-1 victory over Japan in a Group F opener at Kaiserslautern.

Cahill was Australia's leading scorer in World Cup qualifying, but was bothered by a knee injury. Coach Guus Hiddink inserted Cahill in the second half and the move paid off in a big way for Australia (1-0), which failed to even score a goal the last time it participated in the World Cup in 1974.

"We never stopped working," Hiddink said. "This was part of the strategy we planned if near the end of the game the score was neutral or we were down, that we didn't want to panic."

Japan held a 1-0 lead on a controversial goal by Shunsuke Nakamura in the 26th minute. Nakamura swung a left-footed cross into the box from the right and, as goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer came to collect the ball, he collided with Atsushi Yanagisawa and the ball sailed over his head into the net.

Schwarzer pleaded for an interference call, but the goal stood for Japan (0-1).

It was not until the 84th minute that Australia finally made its breakthrough. This time it was Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi who flapped at a cross and when the ball dropped for Cahill in the box, he made no mistake with a right-footed strike.

Four minutes later, Cahill gave Australia the lead with a superb 20-yard strike off the inside of the right post.

Aloisi, another second-half substitute, wrapped up the victory in stoppage time with a left-footed strike inside the far post.