Champions Norway keep eye on Africans after opening win

Norway opened their defence of the Women's World Cup title with a 2-1 win over Russia on Sunday, while powerful Australia were held to a draw by Ghana.

Ghana weren't the only success story from Africa on a day that featured four matches, as Nigeria defeated North Korea 2-1, while Germany needed a late penalty to earn a 1-1 draw against Italy.

Brit Sandaune and Marianne Pettersen scored for Norway to give the defending champions the lead in Group C, two points ahead of Japan and Canada.

Norway attacked from the kick-off and broke through in the 17th minute. Silke Jorgensen floated a cross from the left side that was headed on by forward Pettersen. Sanduane lifted a shot over the on-rushing goalkeeper, Svetlana Petko, and into the net despite the best efforts of defender Marina Bourakova to clear it.

Pettersen cashed in one of her six shots in the 68th minute. The ball dropped to her feet in the box and presented itself as a gift after a pass from Sandaune rebounded off the foot of Russian defender Natalia Karasseva.

Norway kept pressing, and Russia turned their aggression to their own advantage in the 78th minute. Irina Grigorieva ran down a loose ball at the Norway touch line. Natalia Barbachina settled the cross with her back to the goal and pushed a pass to the edge of the penalty area, where Galina Komarova rocketed a shot past goalkeeper Bente Nordby.

Also in Foxboro, World Cup newcomers Ghana boosted by the spectacular goalkeeping of Memunatu Sulemana managed a 1-1 draw with Australia in Group D.

The play of the 21-year-old Sulemana, coupled with a very physical defence, provided an unexpected point for Ghana, even though they were reduced to 10 women when midfielder Barikisu Tettey Quao was sent off for tackling from behind in the 26th minute.

Sulemana made 11 saves, none bigger than the point-blank stop from Australian captain and forward Julie Murray in injury-time. Murray tracked down a long cross on the left side, turned inside at the top of the box and fired a shot that Sulemana turned away.

Murray and Ghana forward Nana Gyamfua scored less than two minutes apart late in the second half and the draw left both teams two points behind group leader China.

Forward Mercy Akide scored one goal and was instrumental in another in Nigeria's 2-1 win over North Korea, whose lone goal came from Song Ok Jo.

Also at the Rose Bowl, a favoured German side needed Bettina Wiegmann's penalty in the 61st minute to earn a 1-1 draw with Italy.

Germany trailed 1-0 after a 36th-minute header by Patrizia Panico when striker Brigit Prinz was brought down inside the penalty area by defender Roberta Stefanelli.

Wiegmann stepped up to convert the penalty, the first of the tournament. Both teams are two points behind Brazil in the group known as the "Group of Death."