Football: Zidane puts Juventus on course to retain title

Juventus stayed on course to retain their Serie A title when they went four points clear yesterday by beating Roma 3-1, while Internazionale sank to a 1-0 home defeat to Bologna.

The French midfielder, Zinedine Zidane, broke the deadlock for Juve with a low shot in first-half injury-time. Alessandro Del Piero then scored with a fine solo effort three minutes after the break, but Brazilian striker Paulo Sergio hauled Roma back into the match with a goal in the 57th minute.

Any hope Roma had of salvaging anything ended in the 64th when Del Piero broke through only to be felled by the last defender, Fabio Petruzzi, as he headed for goal.

Petruzzi was sent off and Roma were punished a second time when Dutchman Edgar Davids cracked home the resulting free-kick to seal victory. The win proved to be all the more valuable with Michele Paramatti inflicting upon Inter their third 1-0 defeat since the last game of 1997.

Inter are now only three points ahead of this season's surprise package, Udinese, who beat Lecce 6-0. German striker Oliver Bierhoff got a brace to take his tally to 16, making him Serie A's top goalscorer.

South Africa made a disappointing start to the defence of the African Nations' Cup in Burkina Faso yesterday when they could only manage a goalless draw with Angola. A match littered with fouls saw the South African John Moeti and the Angolan Mateus Agostinho sent off with two minutes remaining.

Cameroon had a shaky opening match, beating hosts Burkina Faso 1-0 in Ouagadougou.