Japan made hard work of a match in which they held all the cards but were saved by a late Yuya Osako winner which earned them a 2-1 win in their World Cup opener against a 10-man Colombia on Tuesday.

The win at Mordovia Arena in Saransk is the first for an Asian team over a South American opponent at a World Cup and is Japan's first at the tournament since they beat Denmark in the final group game of the 2010 edition.

Shinji Kagawa scored his 31st goal for the national team and first at a World Cup after Japan were handed a one-man advantage and a penalty in the third minute.

Juan Quintero evened the score from a free kick before halftime but the combination of a Keisuke Honda corner and Osako header gave Japan the win and sweet revenge for their 4-1 defeat to the Colombians at the last World Cup four years ago in Brazil.

"The players hung tough and battled well and this is the result," said Japan head coach Akira Nishino. "We were calm and able to create a rhythm.

"We did not just want to be reactive, we wanted to keep hold of the ball and go for goal, and I thought about how to put together the midfield with that in mind."

Carlos Sanchez's red card came at the end of the second minute, the Espanyol player blatantly blocking Kagawa's shot with his right hand with the goal mouth open.

The ball had bounced to Kagawa after Osako broke free from some calamitous defending by Davinson Sanchez, forcing David Ospina into a one-on-one save.

After Slovenian referee Damir Skomina had sent Carlos Sanchez packing, amid intense Colombian protests, Kagawa stepped to the spot and calmly slotted the ball down the center as Ospina anticipated to his right.

"I am so relieved. I was able to keep a cool head and put the penalty away," said Kagawa.

Colombia's first serious foray forward saw their captain and chief goal threat Radamel Falcao meet a cross on the edge of the six-yard box, but his lunging volley had no power and was directed straight at Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima's chest.

Japan had another excellent chance in the 32nd minute when Osako turned the Colombian defense over, but he sliced his right-footed shot well wide.

And that miss became all the more costly when just six minutes before half time Quintero squeezed his free kick under an airborne Japanese wall and into the bottom corner.

Colombia were awarded the questionable free kick when Makoto Hasebe and Falcao clashed trying to get their heads to a 50-50 ball.

Kawashima got his hands to the subsequent free kick, but could not keep it out, goal-line technology confirming it clearly crossed the line despite the FC Metz stopper's desperate pleading.

Japan had the first two chances of the second period -- for Osako and Takashi Inui -- but both were thwarted by the Colombian goalie who made comfortable saves on chances that could have reaped more. Maya Yoshida also headed wide as Japan piled on the pressure.

Perhaps sensing a chance to steal the match, Colombia coach Jose Pekerman sent on James Rodriguez in the 59th minute, the 2014 World Cup's golden boot winner having been questionable before the match due to a calf injury.

Nishino responded by dispatching his own talisman, Honda, from the bench a few minutes later and it was the former AC Milan man who impacted the game first. The Pachuca midfielder swung a corner onto the rising Osako's head, the Werder Bremen player deftly directing the ball into the net.

"We had practiced loads of set pieces and that goal was straight off the training ground," said Osako. "It was a team effort."

Despite finally retaking the lead, the final minutes were not without incident, a last-ditch sliding block in the box by Osako on Rodriguez allowing Japan to hold their lead and move on to their second Group H match against Senegal on Sunday with three points in the bag.

"We were a bit too defensive-minded after conceding but battled through the 90 minutes," said Kagawa. "But we haven't achieved anything yet and have to ready ourselves for the next game."

Japan share the lead at the top of Group H with Senegal after the African team beat Poland 2-1 in Moscow later on Tuesday.

Senegal took the lead when Poland's Thiago Cionek deflected Idrissa Gueye's shot into his own goal eight minutes before the break and Mbaye Niang made it 2-0 on the hour-mark, sprinting back onto the pitch after leaving for an injury and capitalizing on a terrible mix-up in the Polish defense.

Grzegorz Krychowiak pulled a goal back for Poland with four minutes left, heading home a free kick, but it was too little too late.

Russia took control of Group A by beating Egypt 3-1 in their second match, leaving the African team -- for whom Mohamed Salah returned but looked short of full fitness -- on the verge of elimination.

The hosts took the lead just after the break when Ahmed Fathi deflected Roman Zobnin's scuffed shot into his own net, and Denis Cheryshev's low shot after good work from Mario Fernandes made it 2-0. It was Cheryshev's third goal of the tournament.

Artem Dzyuba made it 3-0 when he latched onto a deep free kick and fired home before Salah won and converted a penalty. But for Egypt to have any hope of staying in the tournament, Saudi Arabia must beat Uruguay on Wednesday.