Brazil 3 Ivory Coast 1

Scorers: Luis Fabiano (Bra) 2 goals, Elano (Bra), Drogba (IVC)

Attendance: 84455

Brazil booked their place in the Round of 16 with a game to spare after a convincing 3-1 victory over Côte d’Ivoire at Soccer City.

Two goals from Luis Fabiano and a third by Elano secured the second victory for Dunga’s side in South Africa – a result that guaranteed them one of the top two places in Group G even before Portugal's meeting with Korea DPR on Monday. It was not all good news for the South Americans, though, who finished the game with ten men after Kaka received a late red card after a clash with Kader Keita. It was Kaka’s second yellow card and came after the Brazilian appeared to dig an elbow into the chest of Keita, who went down clutching his face.

For Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Elephants, this was a sobering evening despite Didier Drogba’s late headed reply. Although Drogba was fit to start his first game of this FIFA World Cup™ – Gervinho the man to make way – Côte d’Ivoire did not trouble Brazil's back line until it was too late and they will now go into their final group game against the Koreans on Friday with just one point to their name.

This much-anticipated meeting of the five-time world champions and Drogba's Elephants – seen by some as potentially Africa's biggest hope before the finals – began with a shooting opportunity for theSeleção inside the first 60 seconds as Robinho broke forward. But, ignoring the yellow shirts on either side of him, he flashed a shot over the crossbar from outside the box.

Robinho had a hand in the opening goal after 25 minutes, some lovely interplay between him, Kaka and Luis Fabiano preceding Kaka's through-ball to the No9 which left him clear to lash a spectacular shot high inside the near post. The Elephants had managed only one shot on target in their goalless draw with Portugal and it took them 38 minutes before Aruna Dindane tried his luck from distance, driving a shot straight at Julio Cesar.

Within five minutes of the restart, Brazil had their second goal as Luis Fabiano struck again. After lifting the ball over Didier Zokora on the edge of the box, he worked his way past two more defenders, controlling a bouncing ball before firing in a low shot that Boubacar Barry got a hand to on its way in. The Ivorians came close to a response soon after only for Drogba to steer a header wide of Julio Cesar’s left-hand post after rising between Maicon and Lucio to meet Dindane’s centre from the right. That would be Dindane's final contribution as he made way for Gervinho, yet the force remained with Brazil.

Kaka had a shot beaten away by Barry in the 61st minute but within 60 seconds he had created the third goal for Elano. The Real Madrid playmaker broke down the left and running at Kolo Toure, found the space to drill in a low cross that Elano turned home for his second goal of the finals. Sadly for Elano that was his final contribution as, soon after, he took a kick on the shin from Ismael Tiote and left the field on a stretcher.

Julio Cesar was finally called into meaningful action when Ivorian substitute Romaric drove in a low shot that the Brazil custodian got down low to block. Eleven minutes from time, however, Drogba did restore a measure of pride for the Elephants when, following Gervinho's lung-bursting forward run, the substitute laid the ball back to Yaya Toure whose precise cross was nodded home by the Chelsea striker. That was the end of the scoring, although for Kaka, the night did not end as he would have wished as tempers flared in the closing minutes.

Brazil 2 North Korea 1

Scorers: Maicon (Bra), Elano (Bra), Ji Yun Nam (NK)

Attendance: 54331

Brazil secured a 2-1 win against Korea DPR but they were made to work extremely hard to secure maximum points after the Asian outsiders showed impressive resilience. The Koreans kept the Brazilians scoreless until ten minutes into the second half when Maicon scored a stunning goal from an outrageous angle. Elano doubled the lead midway through the second half and the contest appeared all over, but a late goal from Ji Yun-Nam ensured Brazil endured some nervy moments in the final minutes.

On paper the contrast between the pair could not have been starker, in what was the first match between the two nations. Five-time world champions Brazil, are currently placed at the top of FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking while Korea DPR sit at 105. The Koreans came into the contest on a run of eight outings without a victory, while Brazil conversely, had won their previous four matches.

The first half was largely all Brazil, though they had very few clear sights of goal, and Korea DPR weren’t without their own lively moments going forward. Defender Cha Jong-Hyok fired a shot wide, while Japan-based striker Jong Tae-Se, who had tears streaming down his face as the national anthem played, looked particularly keen to offer drive in his role at the point of the attack.

Kaka made a dangerous run into the penalty area in the opening minutes, which seemed likely to set the tone for the match, but a Korean side which conceded just seven goals in their 14 qualifying matches are known for their swarming defence in their own third.

The nearest Brazil came to scoring in the first half was through a Michel Bastos drive from distance which clipped the roof of the net but, in truth, the shot never looked like dipping under the crossbar.

Korea DPR went into the half-time interval looking relatively comfortable, despite conceding 63 per cent of possession. The Koreans no doubt allowed themselves at least brief thoughts of repeating the heroics of that famous defeat of Italy at England 1966.

Brazil started the second half brightly, and a Bastos’ free-kick from a central position looked dangerous, but the blistering effort curved wide of the mark. As did Robinho's snapshot moments later, as Brazil were often forced to resort to shooting from distance.

Ten minutes after the interval, a moment of brilliance from Maicon broke the deadlock. There appeared little danger as Maicon chased down a slightly overhit pass into the penalty area, and with the ball just about to roll over the by-line, he blazed a shot between Ri Myong-Guk and the near post, in a goal reminiscent of fellow Brazilian right full-back Josimar at Mexico 1986.

The goal opened up the match as the Koreans started to show more endeavour with numbers going forward. Luis Fabiano looked set to take advantage midway through the second half after being set up by Robinho but the Sevilla man could not find the target.

The contest appeared over as Elano comfortably finished past an exposed Ri Myong-Guk with 18 minutes remaining, with Robinho the provider thanks to an exquisite pass that check-mated the entire Korean defensive quartet.

It was A Selecao who looked more likely to score, but with a minute of regular time remaining, Ji Yun-Nam burst into the penalty area and drove a memorable strike past Julio Cesar - Korea DPR's first goal at a FIFA World Cup™ for 44 years.

Brazil: 1. Julio Cesar, 2. Maicon, 3. Lucio, 4. Juan, 5. Felipe Melo, 6. Michel Bastos, 7. Elano, 8. Gilberto Silva, 9. Luis Fabiano, 10. Kaka, 11. Robinho

Subs Used: 13. Dani Alves, 18. Ramires, 21. Nilmar

North Korea: 1. Myong Guk Ri 2. Jong Hyok Cha, 3. Jun Il Ri, 4. Nam Choi Pak, 5. Kwang Chon Ri, 8. Yun Nam Ji, 9. Tae Se Jong, 10. Yong Jo Hong, 11. In Guk Mun, 13. Choi Jin Pak, 17 Yong Hak An

Subs Used: 6. Kum Il Kim