SEOUL -- With the first boot-on-ball touch of the biggest, most complicated and most expensive World Cup ever, Senegal's El Hadji Diouf instantly banished four years of waiting for the greatest soccer show on Earth to get underway. From that point on, however, it didn't quite go according to the anticipated script for the holder - France - against the upstart debutant.

What had been billed as a pleasant warm-up for the world and European champion quickly turned into a battle to salvage a draw in the Seoul World Cup Stadium after the Senegalese turned the tables on the favorite for the competition. Instead, stout defending and lightning-paced attacks against an aging French defense enabled the African team to pull off one of the biggest World Cup shocks in years.

Not since Argentina lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the opening match of the 1990 Italian World Cup has a big name come such a cropper.

"I'm not a better coach today than I was yesterday, but you have to have faith and keep loving the game and be there to get results like this," said Senegal coach Bruno Metsu. "It is like a dream, but it isn't a miracle because the team worked very hard for it."

It also put a spectacular end to France's eight-game unbeaten streak in the World Cup dating back to 1986.

"We take comfort from the fact that nothing's finished," said France coach Roger Lemerre. "There are two more matches to win. If we can win, we'll have six points and we'll be through."

The other surprise was the number of empty seats in the stadium as the game got under way; at least several thousand seats were vacant, which would have looked poor to a global audience and disappointed the hosts. It was not immediately clear whether the problem lay with the much-publicized holdups FIFA has had with getting tickets to supporters or their high prices.

But those who were present are likely to remember it for the rest of their lives - especially if they are Senegalese.

The white-shirted Africans started brightly, winning a free-kick in only the second minute, but the shot was chipped into the area instead of fired in hard and low, enabling Fabien Barthez in the French goal to gather it comfortably.

Within a couple of minutes, Senegal's Khalilou Fadiga had another chance, firing straight into Barthez's midriff when a cross was pulled back from the byline in the box. The indication was that the occasion had not got to the new boys on the big stage.

The Senegalese had clearly been instructed to hustle and stand up strong in the midfield against the inevitable French thrusts, with Malick Papa Diop and Salif Diao particularly quick to get into the tackle.

Once the French had found their feet a little, however, they began to put together some of the slick, precise passes that they are famous for. In the 22nd minute, David Trezeguet got in a shot from the edge of the Senegal penalty box after good work down the right wing by the impressive Sylvain Wiltord, only to see his stinging shot come back off the upright, much to the relief of goalkeeper Tony Sylva.

The Senegalese forwards, however, were by now finding their own rhythm, particularly the swift Diouf, who made Frank Leboeuf look leaden-footed in the center of the French defense.

It was his sharpness that led to the Senegalese goal in the 30th minute. Breaking down the left he put in a solid shot that Barthez could only get a hand to, Emmanuel Petit was unable to reach the rebound and a delighted Papa Bouba Diop touched into the unguarded net as he lay half-prone on the turf.

The goal - greeted with disbelief by the French fans and utter rejoicing by the fans in yellow - served to encourage the Senegal players, increasing their self-belief that they might emulate Cameroon's famous victory over Argentina in 1990.

"It made me very happy. I've always dreamed of this," Diop said of his -- and his nation's -- feat.

A frustrated Petit became the first booking of the 2002 World Cup in time added on at the end of the half after needlessly bringing down Diouf in fullflight. By the break, it was clear that while France were creating plenty of attacking moves, it missed the guile of the injured Zinedine Zidane in the final third of the pitch.

The French came out at the start of the second half clearly fired up for the task in hand; two free-kicks just outside the Senegal penalty box were driven in hard but came to nothing, while a cross by Thierry Henry was fired across the face of the goal without meeting a French boot and he was unable to direct the recovered ball back toward the goal.

French coach Lemerre opted to shake up his front line options in the 59th minute, taking off Djorkaeff - who had done well in the midfield - for the more offensive-minded Christophe Dugarry.

Despite the arrival of a third out-and-out striker, the next good chance fell to Senegal's Fadiga, who turned Leboeuf inside out but was very unlucky to see his powerful shot strike the crossbar and deflect away.

Within two minutes, Henry had also hit the woodwork at the other end, looping the ball over Sylva's hands but also onto the top of the bar.

Lemerre played his final card in the 80th minute, throwing on the powerfully built Djibril Cisse for Wiltord and ordering his troops to throw everything they had at Senegal. It looked as if the French might have snatched a draw in the 90th minute, but Sylva again came to Senegal's rescue.