It was evident from the outset that both teams were intent on playing adventurous football, and the chances were swift in arriving for Germany. The first fell to Cacau. Racing into the right side of the Ghana box, the Brazil-born 29-year-old struck the ball firmly but straight into the arms of a grateful Richard Kingson, who did well to gather Thomas Muller's cross moments later. 

After six minutes a headed clearance dropped to Lukas Podolski, whose first-time strike was deflected wide for a corner, which came to nothing. Almost immediately, the same player sprinted down the left and cut the ball back. Jonathan Mensah, under pressure from Cacau, almost turned it into his own net, but was spared by the diving Kingson. Ghana had their first chance on 13 minutes. Kwadwo Asamoah broke into the Germany box and unselfishly laid the ball back for Asamoah Gyan, whose effort was blocked by Bastian Schweinsteiger. 

Midway through the half, Ozil deceived the offside trap and went clean through on goal. The Germany No8 looked odds-on to score, but Kingson spread himself masterfully and made a block with his legs. Ten minutes later it was his outstretched hands that came to Ghana's rescue, repelling a Cacau drive from ten yards. 

Andre Ayew expertly crafted a chance on the half-hour mark, a sublime feint allowing him to leave Jerome Boateng in his wake and cross for Gyan, who could not get enough power on his close-range header to trouble Manuel Neuer. The final opportunity of the opening 45 fell to Gyan, who outjumped his marker but was unable to keep his header down. The referee's whistle, which could barely be heard for the immense noise inside Soccer City, then brought a compelling opening period to a close. 

The Germans emerged intent on breaking the deadlock. However, despite being camped inside the Ghana half and dominating possession, they were unable to test Kingson in the opening five minutes. The Black Stars, by contrast, required just one attack to force Neuer into action. Gyan sent Asamoah through on goal, but his shot was expertly saved by the sprawling German No1. 

The three-time world champions made their adversaries pay on the hour mark. Muller collected the ball on the right flank and played it square to Ozil, who was centrally positioned, two yards outside the area. The Werder Bremen playmaker touched the ball into the path of his left boot, and casually volleyed it past Kingson and just inside his right-hand post. 

Ghana, undeterred, refused to accept defeat. Gyan headed into the side-netting on 64 minutes, before back-heeling the ball into the path of Ayew, whose goal-bound shot was crucially blocked by Philipp Lahm. The Europeans played more conservatively thereafter, and their ball retention kept Ghanaian opportunities at a minimum. Sulley Muntari had a half-chance for the west Africans, but his speculative shot from 25 yards flew over the bar. 

Sami Khedira, Ozil and Podolski, so adept at finding white shirts with their passes, managed to play the clock down until the final whistle sparked German celebrations. Seconds later, upon hearing of Australia's defeat of Serbia, Ghanaian arms were also flung jubilantly in the Johannesburg air. Germany will now face England in Mangaung/Bloemfontein on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals, while Ghana will take on USA in Rustenburg 24 hours earlier. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

• A조 (남아공,멕시코,우루과이,프랑스)

• B조 (아르헨티나,나이지리아,대한민국,그리스)

• C조 (잉글랜드,미국,알제리,슬로베니아)

• D조 (독일,호주,세르비아,가나)

• E조 (네덜란드,덴마크,일본,카메룬)

• F조 (이탈리아,파라과이,뉴질랜드,슬로바키아)

• G조 (브라질,북한,코트디부아르,포르투칼)

• H조 (스페인,스위스,온두라스,칠레)

Budweiser Man of the Match Tim Cahill was back in the team, after being dismissed in the ultimately decisive 4-0 opening loss to the Germans, and it was the Everton man who scored the crucial opening goal of the match on 69 minutes. Substitute Brett Holman doubled the lead just four minutes later before Marko Pantelic pulled one back late on to set up a grandstand finish. 

Both teams approached the encounter at the Mbombela Stadium knowing they needed to win and the game started at a high tempo. Serbia's Milos Krasic was an early danger down their right wing, testing goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer at his near post inside the first five minutes. In the 12th minute, Krasic had an even better chance when sprung free in the box by Milos Ninkovic's defence-splitting pass after an Australia corner, but the CSKA Moscow man took it too wide and could not get his shot on target around the advancing Schwarzer. 

Krasic then turned provider, finding Zdravko Kuzmanovic streaking into the area, but he fired well wide when he might have done better in the 16th minute. Another pass from the right in the 23rd minute picked out Branislav Ivanovic, who pulled the ball back well from close range, but Schwarzer reacted quickly to save with his out-stretched left arm. The onslaught against Australia left-back David Carney continued in the 34th minute as Ivanovic crossed to a loosely marked Nikola Zigic, but the Serbia striker did not connect cleanly and the ball slid off his head. Four minutes later, Krasic did have the ball in the back of the Australian net, but he was narrowly offside. 

The two best chances of the first half for the Asian Zone representatives fell to Cahill, but the Everton midfielder headed wide just after the half-hour mark and then lost his footing in the 39th minute after Carney had picked him out all alone in the middle of the Serbian box. But Pim Verbeek's side came out with more purpose in the second half and two long-range efforts put a lump in Serbian throats. First, Jason Culina blazed wide from 25 yards after the defence failed to clear a free-kick, and Bresciano then stung the goalkeeper's hands with a blast from just outside the area when given too much space. 

And though the Serbians continued to create chances as well, with Zigic firing over from close range and Kuzmanovic heading over from near the penalty spot, it was the Aussies who found the net. Again talisman Cahill was the inspiration, showing more determination to leap over the defence and head in a long cross. As Serbia pushed for the equaliser, Australia produced another moment of brilliance, this time from Holman, who picked the ball up near his halfway line and screamed in a long-range shot low into Vladimir Stojkovic's goal. 

With their South Africa 2010 hopes slipping away, the eastern Europeans battled forward and second-half substitute Zoran Tosic was a constant threat. It was his hard shot that was spilled by Schwarzer, and fellow substitute Pantelic was first to the ball for an easy score. Remarkably that meant that the Serbians could have gone through with another goal, but despite some goalmouth opportunities, they did not force a save from Schwarzer, although Culina did have a one-on-one bravely saved by Stojkovic at the other end in the final moments.