Song nets Cameroon winner

Cameroon captain Rigobert Song scored the winner as his country came from behind to make a winning start to their World Cup qualifying campaign on Sunday.

Song, the former Liverpool defender now playing in France, scored in first-half stoppage time with a header to give his country a 2-1 win over Benin in their Group three match in Yaounde.

But Cameroon's two major rivals in the group scored bigger wins in their matches on Sunday with Egypt winning 3-0 at Sudan and the Ivory Coast scoring a 2-0 win over Libya in Abidjan.

Benin stunned the Cameroon crowd with a goal after 11 minutes as French-born teenager Romauld Mpoco struck from long range on a wet pitch affected by heavy rain before the match.

But African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto'o equalised in the 43rd minute before Song got the winner.

Egypt, after indifferent performances in recent warm-up matches, came good against southern neighbours Sudan, scoring early through Abdelhalim Ali.

There were two further goals from Mohamed Aboutrika and defender Mohamed Abdelwahab for the team now coached by former Italian international Marco Tardelli, hero of his country's World Cup success in 1982.

Aruna Dindane and Didier Drogba, named footballers of the year in Belgium and France respectively, scored for the Ivorians in their triumph over Libya.

Dindane from Anderlecht got the first half opener and Olympique Marseille's Drogba added a penalty in the 63rd minute.

The Ivorians are among the favourites to qualify for the 2006 finals in Germany where their French coach Henri Michel is hoping to coach a fourth different side in as many World Cup finals.

There were also victories for Uganda and Liberia in their respective home matches, both winning 1-0 on Sunday.

Ibrahim Sekajja scored Uganda's goal against the Democratic Republic of Congo in their group two match in Kampala, which was held over for 24 hours because of the late arrival of the visiting side.

Alvin Kieh scored a late winner for Liberia as they beat Mali in a group one match in Monrovia.

On Saturday, Nigeria, Tunisia, Senegal and South Africa, who all played at the last World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea, won on the opening day of the group phase of the African zone qualifiers for the 2006 finals in Germany.