SEOUL, South Korea -- Sacre bleu!

Defending champion France opened the first World Cup in Asia with a most shocking result -- a 1-0 loss to Senegal, a former French colony playing its first game ever in the tournament.

Moussa Ndiaye and Senegal find a way to topple the defending champs.(AP)

The hero for Senegal was Papa Bouba Diop, a midfielder with swiveling hips who danced with teammates on the field after scoring the game-winner in the 30th minute while lying on his side.

The historic upset Friday night (Friday morning ET) set off wild celebrations in the West African nation, and left stunned fans gasping in cafes and homes across France.

In Dakar, Senegal, thousands of people danced in the streets and President Abdoulaye Wade declared a national holiday.

"I've always dreamed of this," Diop said.

"Today's victory is a victory for all of Africa and Senegal. No one expected that Senegal will beat France. But we did."

He scored after El Hadji Diouf sped down the left side and got by defender Frank Leboef, who stumbled. Diouf then crossed the ball in front of the goal and French defender Emmanuel Petit kicked it off the left arm of goalkeeper Fabien Barthez while trying to clear it.

The ball rebounded to Diop, who was on the ground right in front of the goal but managed to swing his left leg out and whack the ball into the net.

Diop took off his jersey, put it on the ground at the right corner of the field, and teammates formed a circle around it, as if to worship the now sacred garment. Then they boogied in an impromptu conga line.

"We have realized our dreams," Senegal coach Bruno Metsu said. "We are very happy with this."

Some nations wait decades for a win in the quadrennial championship of the world's most popular sport - co-host South Korea is 0-10-4. Senegal got one the very first time.

"They had one counterattack and they scored," said French coach Roger Lemerre, whose team was missing its best player, Zinedine Zidane, because of an injury. "It's hard on us, but it's up to us to deal better with that type of situation."

Schools were closed in Senegal on Friday in honor of the big game. When Diop scored, citizens ran into the streets of their oceanside capital and danced, many carrying the nation's red, green and yellow flag. Thousands pressed up to the gates of the Palace of the Republic to congratulate Wade.

"I knew that the team could win," the president declared, telling the team to keep going "to defend the colors of Africa."

When the game began it was 11:30 a.m. in Senegal and 1:30 p.m. in Paris, where brasseries on the Left Bank were filling for lunch. It was 7:30 a.m. in New York, where Wall Street brokers watched at work, and it was 4:30 a.m. in California, where alarm clocks roused people from their slumber.

The result was reminiscent of the 1990 opener in Italy, when defending champion Argentina, despite a two-man advantage, was stunned 1-0 by Cameroon, which advanced to the quarterfinals.

"There's nothing miraculous about Senegal's win. The team was very well organized," Lemerre said.

Starting seven of the same players who opened the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil, France looked slow and old on a cool, damp night at Seoul World Cup Stadium - one of 10 built in South Korea for the tournament at a cost of more than $2 billion.

France missed the creativity of playmaker Zidane, the hero of their victory four years ago. He tore a thigh muscle last weekend, and it's unclear when he'll return.

Senegal, which gained independence in 1960, in a way is more French than "Les Bleus." Just one French starter plays in his home league, but all 11 of Senegal's starters do.

France, frustrated by goalkeeper Tony Sylva, couldn't come up with the tying goal. Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet hit the crossbar, and three other shots clanked off the posts.

The loss put severe pressure on the French to win their next game, against Uruguay on Thursday. Each team plays three games in the first round, and Senegal next plays Denmark. The top two teams in each of the eight groups advance to the second round.

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

Security measures starkly reflected the global changes since France won its first title in July 1998 at Saint-Denis, its futuristic home in a Paris suburb. South Korea mobilized about 38,000 police for the tournament, and stadiums were protected with anti-aircraft missiles, portable land-to-air rockets and fighter jets.

Before the game, the crowd of 64,640 was treated to a 40-minute spectacle of sound, light, fireworks and technology, with 2,500 colorfully dressed performers welcoming them to the first World Cup game played outside Europe or the Americas.

Several thousand fans came to Seoul from France, and during the Marseillaise they unfurled a giant tricolor, with the Korean flag in the middle section. At the other end of the field, only about two dozen fans from Senegal -- banging drums and tambourines -- appeared to be among the yellow-clad fans supporting the African team. The rest were South Koreans, recruited by organizers for cheering squads.

This is the first World Cup with co-hosts, the 64 games split evenly between Japan and South Korea, nations that have struggled to warm to each other.

South Korea President Kim Dae-Jung and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi were cheered as they raised their hands together. Also on hand were Japanese Prince Takamado and his wife, Princess Hisako -- the first members of the imperial family to visit South Korea since the republic was founded in 1948.

Notes

• The U.S. team visited the DMZ between North and South Korea earlier Friday. The Americans open June 5 against Portugal at Suwon.
• Saturday's schedule has Ireland vs. Cameroon and Germany vs. Saudi Arabia in Japan, and Uruguay vs. Denmark in South Korea.