Yesterday

France 2-0 Nigeria

Germany 2-1 Algeria

NIGERIA AND ALGERIA have been knocked out of the 2014 World Cup after conceding late goals against France and Germany in the last 16 of the on-going FIFA World Cup tournament.

France qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals after a late Paul Pogba header and a Joseph Yobo own goal clinched a 2-0 victory over Nigeria.

Juventus star Pogba made the key breakthrough for France 11 minutes from time, punishing a rare mistake by Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

Then in the closing minutes, a low cross from Mathieu Valbuena was turned in by Yobo as he came under pressure from Antoine Griezmann.

The victory ended Nigeria's dream of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time and put France into a last eight meeting with either Germany or Algeria.

The defeat was hard on France-based Nigeria keeper Enyeama, who had kept Les Bleus at bay with a series of fine saves.

But the win was no less than Didier Deschamps's' France deserved after dominating the contest and enjoying the better of the chances throughout.

It was a controversial victory; however, as the game had swung France's way after Nigeria's influential midfielder Ogenyi Onazi was injured and carried off following a late tackle from Blaise Matuidi, who was lucky to escape with only a yellow card.

France will face Germany in the quarter final round in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.

Extra-time heartbreak for Algeria

Germany were pushed all the way by an inspired Algeria in Porto Alegre on Monday before Andre Schuerrle and Mesut Ozil eventually secured them a 2-1 extra-time victory to send them into a mouthwatering World Cup quarterfinal meeting with France.

The North African outsiders played with energy and confidence to regularly expose a static German defence and Islam Slimani found the net with an early diving header ruled out for offside, but they were indebted to goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi for a great double save to deny Toni Kroos and Mario Goetze which kept the match scoreless at halftime.

Mbolhi made another excellent save from a close-range Thomas Mueller header to take the match into extra time but the fitter-looking Germans were in control by then and took the lead within 90 seconds of the extra period when substitute Schurrle cleverly dragged in a low Mueller cross.

Ozil banged in the second in the 120th minute and though Abdelmoumene Djabou replied in added time Germany extended their remarkable record of reaching at least the quarter-finals in every World Cup they have entered since 1938 and gave them their first win in three attempts against Algeria, who famously beat them in a 1982 World Cup group game.