Brazil's gold quest gets underway

Brazil took on Brisbane in a pre-tournament friendly

Brazil's quest for a first Olympic footballing gold gets underway on Thursday as they take on Slovakia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The match is expected to prove a fairly routine opener for Wanderley Luxemburgo's much-fancied side.

Meanwhile, in the women's tournament, arch-rivals China and the United States kick-off their Olympic campaigns as preparations crank into overdrive with the Games official opening just one day away.

China - hoping their Sydney Olympic campaign will see them avenge defeats to the Mia Hamm-inspired USA at the 1996 Games and 1999 World Cup - take on Nigeria in Canberra.

In Melbourne reigning champions the United States play Norway, considered by many as dark horses for the women's title.

Organisers will be praying the remainder of the Games goes as smoothly as Wednesday' opening matches.

There have been fears the event could be targeted by terror groups and protestors who have disrupted the World Economic Forum, but officials reported no major security-related incidents at Wednesday's opening.