BRUSSELS, June 10 (Reuters) - Long after the celebrations in Brussels have ended, the question will remain whether Emile Mpenza's spectacular goal which helped Belgium to a 2-1 win over Sweden in their Euro 2000 opener should have been allowed.

Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hedman was in no doubt. 'I don't think he handled it ... I know he did,' a downcast Hedman said after the game. 'It feels like we lost the game unnecessarily.'

After just 38 seconds of the second half, Mpenza received a flick-on from Branko Strupar, brought the ball swiftly under control and blasted it into the roof of the net, leaving Hedman stranded.

A few Swedes halfheartedly appealed for handball, but were rapaidly dismissed by German referee Markus Merk.

TV replays showed afterwards that Hedman's complaints were justified.

But Belgium were having none of it in their post-match celebrations of a dream start to Euro 2000.

Mpenza, whose speed and skill brought him the Man of the Match award, was certain he had done nothing wrong.

'I don't think I handled it. I don't think that would have been possible, the way the ball came down for me to hit it with my right foot,' Mpenza said.

Belgium's driving force Marc Wilmots backed the young Schalke 04 star and dismissed the incident as irrelevant anyway once the referee had made his decision.

'No, it didn't look like handball to me. Perhaps it looked that way the way it bounced.'

Whatever the TV pictures may say, co-hosts Belgium were delighted to have made the winning start so few outside the country had expected.