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Ronaldo propels Brazil past Bolivia with quick score

Ronaldo delivered on his promise to give Sao Paulo fans a treat, only sooner than anyone expected as Brazil rolled over Bolivia 3-1 in World Cup qualifying on Sunday.

Ronaldo volleyed in a rebound after just 50 seconds, bringing the Morumbi stadium crowd to its feet, and lifting Brazil past Argentina and back into the lead of the South American qualifying race.

"We have every reason to be happy," Ronaldo said. "It was marvelous. We played excellent soccer and we're the leaders."

Brazil has 16 points after eight games, Argentina 15, Paraguay 14, and Chile 12.

Elsewhere, Uruguay beat Ecuador 1-0, Olympic silver medalist Paraguay topped Venezuela 1-0, and Chile and Colombia played to a scoreless draw.

Ronaldinho and Adriano added first-half goals in Brazil's spectacle, while defender Edmilson scored an own-goal for Bolivia four minutes after halftime. Bolivia continued to trail the 10-team competition with six points.

At Montevideo, Carlos Bueno potted the winner for Uruguay against Ecuador for the second time in two months.

Bueno's initial header was saved by diving Ecuador goalkeeper Edwin Villafuerte but Bueno headed in the rebound in the 57th minute for Uruguay's first win in South American play since November.

Bueno also scored the winner in the teams' Copa America match in July in Peru.

At Asuncion, Carlos Gamarra's header off a corner kick on a rare chance in the 52nd minute finished Venezuela 1-0 and lifted Paraguay to its fourth win in eight games.

Colombia held Chile to a scoreless draw in Santiago with both sides reduced to nine men after Brazilian referee Wilson Souza expelled John Viafara and Jairo Patino of Colombia, and Claudio Maldonado and Rodrigo Perez from the home side.

In African qualifying, Egypt held on to upset Cameroon 3-2, its first win over the Indomitable Lions in competition since 1987. The Pharoahs missed star Mido and captain Hazem Emam through injuries, but goals by Mohammed Shawki in the 45th minute, Ahmed Hassan in the 71st on a penalty, and Tarek al-Sayed in the 90th gave the home side a 3-0 lead with just injury time left.

But FC Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon's African player of the Year, scored twice in the first and third minutes of injury time, bringing a Cairo stadium packed with 30,000 fans to its feet.

Threatened to be left behind in Group 3, Egypt rose into a tie for second with Cameroon and Libya on seven points, two behind Ivory Coast, which crushed Sudan 5-0 in Abidjan with a hat trick from Anderlecht's Aruna Dindane.

Bottom-placed Mali, the Nations Cup semifinalist, missed its first win in Group 1 when it allowed Senegal to draw 2-2 in Bamako. Senegal, World Cup quarterfinalist, twice rallied from a goal down.

The Hawks of Togo moved on top of the group on goal difference with another upset, 1-0 over Republic of Congo.

Togo, Senegal, and Zambia have seven points each, followed by Congo with six, Liberia four and Mali two.

Nigeria defeated Zimbabwe 3-0, the Super Eagles' third win in four matches to retain a narrow lead in Group 4 with nine points, one ahead of unbeaten Angola, a 1-0 winner against Rwanda.

Julius Aghahowa put Nigeria ahead in the third minute, Jonas Anakahiri headed in the second in the 25th, and Portsmouth striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni converted a penalty two minutes after the break..
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