00:00Monday and early Tuesday's World Cup fixtures brought an interesting mix of satisfaction and upset,
00:06as fans anxiously watched matches, though on paper perceived to be easy, in fact were more tightly contested than anticipated.
00:14Spain opened their World Cup campaign with a match against Cape Verde, who were making their first ever appearance at
00:20the tournament.
00:21Many fans around the world expected the scoreline to reflect a result similar to a day earlier,
00:26when Germany took on first-timers Curaçao in a match that ended 7-1 in favor of the European powerhouse.
00:33But La Roja, missing young superstar Laminia Malta injury, was unable to convert their chances,
00:40drawing a game that was meant to earn them an easy three points, nil-nil, a result Cape Verde fans
00:45around the world joyfully celebrated.
00:48Belgium fans also watched anxiously as the Red Devils drew 1-1 to Egypt in their first fixture of the
00:54tournament.
00:55The team, which steamrolled past Tunisia last week 5-0 in an international friendly,
01:00was unable to make much happen against the Faroes, who led the game for more than an hour after a
01:05stunning strike by forward Imam Ashur in the 20th minute.
01:09An own goal shortly after the one-hour mark proved to be a moment of relief for the Belgian team,
01:14who walk away with one point in Group G.
01:17Saudi Arabia also took on Uruguay in their first match of the tournament, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
01:23Meanwhile, Iran kick-started their politically charged campaign, facing off against New Zealand where they had to come back twice
01:30to level the score, settling for two goals apiece.
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