MONTEVIDEO.

Oct 9: Urugu-ay scored a crucial World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia. the team that denied them a trip to the 1994 finals, thanks to an own goal by defender Juan Manuel Pena on Tuesday, reports Reuter

The Bolivian defender inadvertently headed the ball into his own net in the 62nd minute of a nerve wracking encounter as he attempted to clear a Uruguayan cross.

The goal was a cruel blow for Bolivia s veteran goalkeeper Carlos Trucco. who had per formed heroics to keep the Uruguay attack at bay until that point

The once mighty Uruguay ans who twice won the cup during the early days of the tournament, desperately needed a win after losing their last two qualifying games, one of them al home to unfancied Paraguay

Coai h Hector Nunez virtu ally implored veteran mid

fielder Enzo Francescoli. 35 next month, to come back out of international retirement to help the Uruguayan cause,

Bolivia, who qualified for the 1994 tournament in the United States at Uruguay’s ex pense. were playing their first game under Spanish coach Antonio Lopes, brought back little more than one year after aban doning the job.

Uruguay, backed by a capac-ity 70.000 crowd, put the Boh vians under pressure from the start, but the back of under standing between strikers Daniel Fonseca and Marcelo Otero plus the excellent form of Trucco prevented them from breaking down the Bolivian de fence

Che home team appeared to be running out ol steam until Pena s fatal error

Bolivia had defender Sergio Castillo sent oil In the 78th minute for a second bookable defence while Uruguay substi tute Luis Romero had a goal dis allowed five minutes from the end lol ollstile