(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-11 23:08

CHENGDU, Southwest China -- Sweden wasted a perfect chance here on Tuesday to temporarily top the Group of Death, seeing off a 1-0 nip insight over Nigeria after a late goal from the Africans leveled it 1-1 at their first match of the World Cup Group B.

Cynthia Uwak, the five-time African champions top scorer who plays in Sweden's women's soccer league, scored the late goal through three Swedish defenders inside the penalty box, leaving the Nodic team's goalie Hedvig Lindahl to stand still and just to watch it in.

The 21-year-old should have broke the rivals' goalmouth around half an hour earlier, when she drove a solo run to face directly against Lindahl but was easily cleared.

Sweden took the control of the game from the right beginning, forcing a less established Nigerian team just to be weighed down with kicking the ball off the side to clear the attacks from the Swedes.

With the "help" of the goalmouth bar, Nigeria goalkeeper Precious Dede managed to keep the scoreline clear before the break, but Sweden's dominance on the pitch eventually resulted in a goal in the 50th minute, when skipper Victoria Svensson tapped in a pass from the mid routine.

It's the third threatening shoot from Svensson, however, as the 30-year-old veteran had been twice on verge of finding the goal, respectively in the 32nd and 34th minutes.