Greece 0 Argentina 2

Scorers: Demichelis (Arg), Palermo (Arg)

Attendance: 38891

Argentina booked a last-16 date with Mexico as their two Martins – Demichelis and Palermo – ended Greece's faint hopes of qualification by wrapping up a 2-0 victory in Polokwane. Greece had kept the South Americans at bay until the 77th minute but they could do little to prevent Diego Maradona's side from securing top spot in Group B with an impressive win at the Peter Mokoba stadium.

Otto Rehhagel's side simply needed to better the result of Korea Republic to claim a place in the last 16, and with Maradona rotating his starting 11, as expected, with no fewer than seven changes from the side that swept aside Korea Republic, the Greeks could must have felt more confident of achieving their aim.

However, there was no doubting Greece had a Herculean task on their hands, and they were virtual by-standers in the opening minutes as Argentina stroked the ball around confidently, guided by the returning Juan Veron. Lionel Messi, lively from the start, demonstrated his threat as early as the tenth minute, riding the challenges of Konstantinos Kastouranis and Alexandros Tziolis, before eventually being stopped in his tracks by the outstretched leg of Sokratis Papastathoppoulos.

Greece were defending in numbers in a bid to thwart their opponents, and were relying on long balls into Georgios Samaras in any bid to switch defence into attack. However, if Rehhagel's side were slowly finding their feet – only the outstretched leg of Martin Demechelis brought an end to Samaras's promising charge into the box 12 minutes in – Maradona's side were still well in command.

And when the southern Europeans' sporadic attacks broke down, the action quickly switched back to the other end, where Alexandro Tzvorvas was unquestionably the busiest man of the night. Sergio Aguero smashed in a left-footed drive which he athletically palmed away, and the Greece goalkeeper had to be equally alert moments later, when the power of the long-range drive from Veron was only matched by the quality of Tzvorvas's tip-over.

If Greece were going to claw their way back into this game it was going to be through Samaras. Just two minutes into the second period, the Celtic forward was picked out with another long ball but, despite wriggling free of his markers, he could only flash his shot wide. However, the momentum remained with Argentina, who needed just a draw to see them into the last 16. Diego Milito might have headed them into a lead, but the striker failed to connect with Clemente Rodriguez's dangerous-looking cross and, shortly after, Rodriquez had a go himself from long range but was unable to find the target.

Messi and Mario Bolatti were both thwarted by Tzvorvas as the decibel level rose in the Peter Mokaba stadium. And the noise levels went through the roof in the 77th minute when Demichelis's goalbound header from an Angel Di Maria corner rebounded off Milito and back into the path of the Argentina defender, who gratefully smashed home a left-footed shot to give Maradona's side the lead they had long threatened.

Messi, Argentina's captain for the night, was denied by the post and then Tzvorvas in the dying minutes, but Greece could do nothing to stop Martin Palermo from side-footing home Argentina's second a minute from time after Messi had again been thwarted

Greece 2 Nigeria 1

Scorers: Salpingidis (Gre), Torosidis (Gre), Uche (Nig)

Attendance: 31593

Greece edged ten-man Nigeria 2-1 in a pulsating contest in Mangaung/Bloemfontein to revive their chances of reaching the Round of 16.

It all looked like being so different for the Super Eagles, who opened the scoring in the 16th minute through Kalu Uche, but a straight red card for Sani Kaita just after the half-hour swung the balance in the favour of the Europeans, who duly secured their first-ever victory in a FIFA World Cup™ match thanks to goals from Dimitrios Salpingidis and Vasileios Torosidis. The result left Greece third in Group B, level on points with second-placed Korea Republic. Nigeria remain pointless and will now have to beat the South Koreans in their final first-phase outing to have any chance of advancing.

Uche's goal was the first in the tournament to come direct from a free-kick, though his 35-yard effort from the left flank was intended centre.  Greece goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas was distracted by the run of Peter Odemwingie, though, and let the ball go past him untouched. The game changed in the 33rd minute, though, with Kaita's sending-off for kicking out at Torosidis after the ball had run out on the sideline. Sensing the opportunity, Greece coach Otto Rehhagel brought on Georgios Samaras to increase their attacking options. The Europeans duly began to dominate the proceedings and split open the Nigeria defence soon after, but goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who impressed in their 1-0 loss to Argentina, denied an unmarked Salpingidis from ten yards.

Six minutes later, Enyeama was beaten, but midfielder Lukman Haruna saved Samaras's flicked, close-range shot from crossing the line. However, Haruna was not so fortunate in the 44th minute as Konstantinos Katsouranis laid the ball off to Salpingidis, whose blast from 20 yards deflected off the young Monaco midfielder and into the back of the net.

The second half began where the first left off, and Georgios Karagounis found himself with a free header near the penalty spot, but the captain could not keep his attempt down. The two goalkeepers took turns playing hero then, with Tzorvas tipping over Uche's delicate cross from the left side of the box when it seemed like it might sneak under his bar. Enyeama spared Joseph Yobo's blushes after a poor clearance, with a diving save from Theofanis Gekas's header in the 59th minute.

From that chance, the west Africans broke back the other way immediately, and Yakubu Ayegbeni saw his shot denied spectacularly by the outstretched left hand of the Greece keeper. Half-time substitute Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi missed the rebound with the goal at his mercy. Enyeama again showed all of his ability in denying Samaras's header from a short corner after a stretched dive to his left, but the Hapoel Tel-Aviv man would have to take the blame for the Greek winner after he spilled Alexandros Tziolis's long-range shot into the path of Torosidis, who buried the chance in the 71st minute.

The game, however, remained wide open and Enyeama, who has arguably been the goalkeeper of the tournament thus far and was named Budweiser Man of the Match today, made another top-drawer save from Karagounis six minutes after his mistake. For Nigeria, this was their seventh FIFA World Cup match without victory, and they must now beat Korea Republic on Tuesday in Durban and hope Argentina can beat a Greece side right back in the running in Group B's other remaining game.

South Korea 2 Greece 0

Scorers: Lee (South Korea), Park (South Korea)

Attendance: 31,500

Korea Republic claimed the first victory at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ as a goal early in each half made it a disappointing start for Group B opponents Greece.

The South Koreans were the dominant force for virtually all of the first half in the Port Elizabeth Stadium although they had to withstand some initial pressure from Greece with Vasileios Torosidis seeing an effort fly off target. The same player should then have scored following Georgios Karagounis's corner but he put a decent chance wide from nine yards.

Huh Jung-Moo's side shrugged off that scare and proceeded to pin their opponents back, and with only seven minutes gone they forged ahead. A free-kick from near the left-hand corner flag found the blue shirts all at sea and at the far post Lee Jung-Soo pounced to sidefoot home and become his country's fastest-ever scorer at a FIFA World Cup.

Greece, European champions in 2004, never recovered from that setback and Korea smelled the chance of further goals with Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung always a danger and Yeom Ki-Hun also pulling the strings. In the 28th minute the South Koreans, fast-raiding and adroit with their ball control, fashioned an outstanding chance to double their advantage as Park Ji-Sung slid a lovely ball into the feet of Park Chu-Young.

Park Chu-Young was clear of the last man but just as he attempted to seal his strong run with a scoring finish, a combination of the back-pedalling Loukas Vyntra and Alexandros Tzorvas denied him, the goalkeeper making a vital intervention to deflect the ball over. Greece had to change their approach and Otto Rehhagel decided to take off captain Karagounis at the break with Christos Patsatzoglou coming in. However with another goal seven minutes into the second period, Korea put the game as good as out of reach.

It was a disaster for Greek defending as they gave possession away inside their own half through Vyntra and were left helpless as Park Ji-Sung took ruthless advantage. There was strength, control and determination in his run as he tore into the penalty area before burying a left-footed shot past Tzorvas to become only the second Asian player to score in three different FIFA World Cups, having also found the net in 2002 and 2006.  It should have been three minutes later as Park Chu-Young dashed between defenders to meet a cross from the right but he could not keep his header down.

Greece, who had not managed a goal in any of their three previous FIFA World Cup games – all of which had been lost in 1994 – had no option but to give everything to try and claw back the deficit. They looked to Theofanis Gekas, who with ten goals was the leading scorer in European qualifying, to inspire an recovery, and he tried an ambitious overhead kick which went over. Soon after Pantelis Kapetanos scooped the ball over as it was drilled in from the left while Gekas forced Jung Sung-Ryong into a fine save at the end. But there was no dispute that Korea were good value for their three points.

South Korea: 18. Jung, 4. Cho, 07. Park, 8. Kim, 10. Park, 12. Lee, 14. Lee, 16. Ki, 17. Lee, 19 Yeom, 22. Cha

Subs Used: 05. Kim, 11. Lee, 15. Kim

Greece: 12. Tzorvas, 2. Seitaridis, 6. Tziolis, 7. Samaras, 8. Papadopoulos, 9. Charisteas, 10. Karagounis, 11. Vyntra, 15. Torosidis, 17. Gekas, 21. Katsouranis

Subs Used: 3. Patsatzoglou, 14. Salpigidis, 20. Kapetanos