<p>World and European champions Spain stayed on course for the title they have never won when they beat African champions Nigeria 3-0 to reach the Confederations Cup semifinals on Sunday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Two excellent goals from defender Jordi Alba, one of eight Barcelona players in the starting line-up, and a fifth of the tournament from Fernando Torres gave Spain a third successive win and top spot in Group B. <br /><br />They stretched their unbeaten run in competitive games to 28, going back to their 1-0 defeat to Switzerland at the 2010 World Cup, and have not lost at all since England beat them in a friendly in November 2011. <br /><br />They will face Italy, who they beat 4-0 to win the European title in Kiev a year ago, at Fortaleza’s Castelao in Thursday’s semifinal. <br /><br />A young and largely experimental Nigeria team, after beating Tahiti 6-1, finished third after defeats to Uruguay and Spain and must now concentrate on qualifying for the World Cup. <br /><br />They need a draw against Malawi in September to top their African qualifying group and will then have to play off over two legs with another group winner to earn a return trip to Brazil next year. <br /><br />Although Spain did not have it all their own way, Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque was pleased. <br /><br />“Nigeria were very dangerous in the first half and they played with plenty of dynamism and made it difficult for us,” he told reporters. <br /><br />Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi was upset at the way his team lost their discipline after Torres, who had only replaced Roberto Soldado three minutes previously, scored with a diving header to make it 2-0 in the 62nd minute.<br /><br />Hernandez sparkles<br /><br />Abel Hernandez grabbed four goals as Uruguay’s reserves won 8-0 against Tahiti on Sunday, taking the South Americans into a Confederations Cup semifinal with Brazil and sending the Pacific islanders home after a third successive drubbing. <br /><br />It took Uruguay less than two minutes to open the scoring in the Group B game when striker Hernandez rose unmarked to head home from a Nicolas Lodeiro corner. <br /><br />Hernandez sprinted away from a static defence and volleyed past goalkeeper Gilbert Meriel on 24 minutes to add a second and Diego Perez got a third three minutes later when he was left with an open goal after his own header beat the ’keeper and came back off the post. <br /><br />Hernandez netted his third and Uruguay’s fourth on the stroke of halftime after he beat the offside trap and slotted home from an angle. <br /></p>
<p>World and European champions Spain stayed on course for the title they have never won when they beat African champions Nigeria 3-0 to reach the Confederations Cup semifinals on Sunday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Two excellent goals from defender Jordi Alba, one of eight Barcelona players in the starting line-up, and a fifth of the tournament from Fernando Torres gave Spain a third successive win and top spot in Group B. <br /><br />They stretched their unbeaten run in competitive games to 28, going back to their 1-0 defeat to Switzerland at the 2010 World Cup, and have not lost at all since England beat them in a friendly in November 2011. <br /><br />They will face Italy, who they beat 4-0 to win the European title in Kiev a year ago, at Fortaleza’s Castelao in Thursday’s semifinal. <br /><br />A young and largely experimental Nigeria team, after beating Tahiti 6-1, finished third after defeats to Uruguay and Spain and must now concentrate on qualifying for the World Cup. <br /><br />They need a draw against Malawi in September to top their African qualifying group and will then have to play off over two legs with another group winner to earn a return trip to Brazil next year. <br /><br />Although Spain did not have it all their own way, Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque was pleased. <br /><br />“Nigeria were very dangerous in the first half and they played with plenty of dynamism and made it difficult for us,” he told reporters. <br /><br />Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi was upset at the way his team lost their discipline after Torres, who had only replaced Roberto Soldado three minutes previously, scored with a diving header to make it 2-0 in the 62nd minute.<br /><br />Hernandez sparkles<br /><br />Abel Hernandez grabbed four goals as Uruguay’s reserves won 8-0 against Tahiti on Sunday, taking the South Americans into a Confederations Cup semifinal with Brazil and sending the Pacific islanders home after a third successive drubbing. <br /><br />It took Uruguay less than two minutes to open the scoring in the Group B game when striker Hernandez rose unmarked to head home from a Nicolas Lodeiro corner. <br /><br />Hernandez sprinted away from a static defence and volleyed past goalkeeper Gilbert Meriel on 24 minutes to add a second and Diego Perez got a third three minutes later when he was left with an open goal after his own header beat the ’keeper and came back off the post. <br /><br />Hernandez netted his third and Uruguay’s fourth on the stroke of halftime after he beat the offside trap and slotted home from an angle. <br /></p>