Kalou strike sends Socceroos home

Chelsea midfielder Salomon Kalou hit the crucial goal that sent the Ivory Coast into the knockout stages of the football tournament - and ended Australia's campaign.

Kalou swooped nine minutes from time to hit the only goal of the Group A game with the Socceroos and send the Elephants into a last-eight tie with Nigeria on Saturday.

Argentina kept up their 100% record in the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Serbia.

Ezequiel Lavezzi opened the scoring in the 13th minute from the penalty spot before Diego Buonanotte wrapped things up with the second goal two minutes from time.

Faris Haroun scored 10 minutes before the break to give Belgium a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in Group C and enabled them to join Brazil in the last eight.

Thiago Neves scored twice as Brazil also maintained a 100% record with a comfortable 3-0 win over China.

Diego set Brazil on their way in the 13th minute before two goals inside four minutes from Thiago (69 & 73) ended any hopes China may have harboured.

Gerald Sibon's second-half penalty secured the Netherlands' passage into the knockout.

The Dutch have largely struggled in the tournament after drawing with Japan and the United States but Sibon's 73rd-minute effort together with Nigeria's 2-1 victory over the USA ensured Holland advanced from Group B with the Super Eagles.

Dutch defender Calvin Jong-A-Ping is confident Holland can get past their quarter-final opponents Argentina and said: "We will rest, take it easy on training, let the muscles get relaxed.

"Then we'll play against Argentina - a strong opponent. I think we can win."

A win or a draw would have been good enough for the US to go through but their task was made harder when just three minutes into the clash with Nigeria, defender Micahel Orozco was shown a straight red card for a bad challenge.

The Nigerians then made the extra man count as Promise Isaac opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Victor Obinna doubled the lead after 79 minutes.

Although Sacha Kjestan pulled one back from the spot for the Americans two minutes from time they could not find an equaliser despite hitting the crossbar in stoppage time.

In Group D Cameroon acquired the point they needed to confirm to book their place in the last eight with a 0-0 with Italy, who had already qualified after winning their first two matches.

That meant South Korea's 1-0 victory over Honduras was for pride only.

Kim Dong Jin hit the winner in the 23rd minute to ensure the Koreans bowed out of the tournament on a high.