JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Germany beat Ghana 1-0 after a second-half goal from Mesut Oezil to win Group D and set up a second-round World Cup clash with traditional rival England.
Ghana also advanced despite Wednesday's loss at Soccer City and became the first African team to make the round of 16 at the first World Cup held on the continent.
"It was a tense game. We could have made more out of our opportunities," Germany coach Joachim Loew said. "We were not very precise up front. But I can't blame my young players, there was a lot of pressure, we had to win. And now we are really looking forward to England.
"It's going to be a special game, there is so much history between us. It's a team with many excellent players and a lot of experience. (Wayne) Rooney can explode any time, we'll have a tough job."
Germany won the group with six points and Ghana was second with four, going through on goal difference thanks to Australia's 2-1 victory over Serbia in the other match.
Oezil rifled a left-footed shot from outside the area into the left corner of the net to break the deadlock in the 60th minute after both teams had wasted a number of chances.
"I simply shot the ball, but I should have scored in the first half too," said Oezil, who was voted man of the match. "I had a lot of support from my teammates. It doesn't matter whom we play next, we have to keep winning."
"I am very relieved to have scored because I had missed many chances in the tournament," Oezil added.
Once the scoreboard had flashed the result of the other match, Ghana players celebrated their progress, waving the country's flag and running to the corner where their supporters were.
The Black Stars went through thanks to their 1-0 win over Serbia and a 1-1 draw with Australia.
"It was a very difficult match but we fought and it was enough to get us through," said Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew. "We had opportunities but the important thing is that we went through."
England finished second in Group C behind the United States and will now face the Germans in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Ghana will play the United States on Saturday in Rustenburg.
"There is no time to celebrate, the next match is very close," Ghana's Serbian coach Milan Rajevac said. "We knew it would be a tough match because to try to qualify against Germany is really hard. We played quite well, we resisted well, we had some chances but they had to win and they showed that they are among the best teams in the world."
Rajevac said he hoped the South Africans, whose team was eliminated, would throw their support behind his team.
Germany had been in danger of failing to advance from the group stage for the first time but the three-time champions had the upper hand throughout the match, without taking unnecessary risks.
"It was good for my young team to be in a make-or-break situation," Loew said.
Germany captain Philipp Lahm said his team had been under "enormous pressure."
"But we didn't get nervous and now we are already looking forward to England," Lahm said.
Ghana also had some chances and Kwadwo Asamoah ran through in the 51st minute but shot weakly at goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Oezil was clear in the 25th but Ghana goalie Richard Kingson blocked his shot.
In the first half, Ghana's Asamoah Gyan had a header from a corner cleared at the post by Lahm, and Kevin-Prince Boateng's header was wide.
Jerome Boateng, Kevin-Prince's half brother, played for Germany. The two had little contact during the game.
It was Kevin-Prince's foul in the English FA Cup final that forced Germany captain Michael Ballack out of the tournament with an injury.
Loew had said before the game that Germany would not target Kevin-Prince. Jerome Boateng, who was making his World Cup debut, had said before the game that the two half brothers had not spoken to each other since the start of the tournament.
"It was important for him not to get cautioned and keep his cool. I thought the German players were very correct with him," Rajevac said.
The two players have the same Ghanaian father and different German mothers. They were born and grew up in Germany, and Kevin-Prince played for Germany's junior teams before switching allegiance.
The Black Stars finish runners-up in their pool and will now meet the United States in the Last 16 at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Saturday night, while Germany face a titanic battle against England in their knockout fixture in Bloemfontein the following day.
Today's match at Soccer City, Soweto, was entertaining, and in the end both sides got what they required, providing the 83,000 in attendance with some thrilling entertainment.
The first half could have ended 3-3 and it was a wonder that the teams went into the break without a goal being scored.
Mesut Oezil had the best chance of the half when he found himself one-on-one with Richard Kingson in the Black Stars goal, but the stopper saved the shot and the danger was cleared.Asamoah Gyan had a header cleared off the line at the other end, while Andre Ayew paused when he should have shot. For the Germans, Philip Lahm went on a mazy run from right back that saw him beat four players before his shot was stopped.
Kwadwo Asamoah had a great opportunity to open the scoring early in the second period when he found space on the left of the box, but with just Manuel Neuer to beat, the keeper made a great save.
Ghana looked the more likely to score in the first 15 minutes of the second period, but a piece of brilliance from Germany and they were ahead.
Almost immediately it should have been 1-1 as Gyan brilliantly set up Ayew with a back-heel, but the forward's shot from just inside the area was somehow blocked by a lunging Lahm. Anthony Annan tested Neuer from range, but the save was comfortable.
With 10 minutes to go and news filtering through from Nelspruit that Australia were 2-0 up on Serbia, a scoreline that put both Ghana and Germany into the Last 16, the pace of the game slowed dramatically as both sides appeared to settle for the result.
The Serbians pulled a goal back in Nelspruit, but the match finished 2-1, and the Black Stars take Africa's hopes into the Last 16.
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Lineups:
Ghana: Richard Kingson; Hans Sarpei, Jonathan Mensah, John Pantsil, Jonathan Mensah, Anthony Annan, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Andre Ayew (Dominic Adiyiah, 90), Kwadwo Asamoah, Prince Tagoe (Sulley Muntari, 64), Asamoah Gyan (Matthew Amoah, 81).
Germany: Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Arne Friedrich, Jerome Boateng (Marcell Jansen, 72), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Toni Kroos, 81), Sami Khedira, Thomas Mueller (Piotr Trochowski, 67), Mesut Oezil, Lukas Podolski, Cacau.