World Cup 2010: The best of day nine in pictures

The Denmark and Cameroon teams line up before their match at the Loftus Verfeld stadium, Pretoria. Whilst it should be an intriguing match for the neutrals, it will be a nail-biting time for the fans of both sides, as the fact that they both lost their opening games means defeat will lead to elimination from the competition
Photograph: Francois-Xavier Marit/AFP/Getty Images

Cameroon put their uninspiring performance in their last game behind them and start the match strongly, attacking from the off. This tactic pays off after only 10 minutes when Pierre Webo picks up a terrible blind pass by Christian Poulson, and the Cameroon winger rolls the ball into the centre where Samuel Eto'o is waiting to welly a shot under the advancing Thomas Sorensen and into the net
Photograph: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters

Cameroon continue with their attacking theme, here Achille Emana firing in a tremendous strike which unfortunately for the Indomitable Lions goes just wide
Photograph: Gerry Penny/EPA

Just after the half hour mark Denmark are level when they score from absolutely nothing. A long diagonal cross field pass from the left finds Dennis Rommedahl who sprints down the right, past Benoit Assou-Ekotto and then squares a low ball into the centre. The speed and placing of the pass takes out Hamidou in the Cameroon goal and Nicklas Bendtner is there to slide in and steer the ball into the net
Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Jon Dahl Tomasson challenges Cameroon's Assou-Ekotto
Photograph: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images

Just after the hour mark Denmark take the lead when another raking pass from left to right finds Dennis Rommedahl, who this times cuts inside when he reaches the area and unleashes a pearler of a curler into the bottom left corner. Cameroon are on their way home unless they can score
Photograph: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images

Despite creating a number of chances and coming close on a couple of occasions they can't find the net. So Cameroon are the first team to be knocked out of World Cup 2010, and all that remains for their fans is the hope that they will go out with heads held high by putting in a good performance against Holland on Thursday
Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

Over in Durban, Holland fans cheer from underneath a huge banner
Photograph: Michael Kooren/Reuters

Meanwhile, Japan's Keisuke Honda, who scored the winning goal against Cameroon in the first round of games, looks nervous as he waits in the tunnel prior to kick-off
Photograph: Jeff Mitchell/FIFA via Getty Images

Gregory van der Wiel sprints clear of Yuto Nagatomo. Whilst the Dutch play some neat and accurate football a lot of it is dull and unadventurous, far from the "total football" the fans expect
Photograph: Paul Gilham /FIFA via Getty Images

Robin van Persie is out-jumped by Japan defender Yuji Nakazawa
Photograph: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

Eight minutes into the second half and Holland get the goal that they have been threatening for a while. It's scored by Wesley Sneijder but is down to a blunder by Kawashima in the Japanese goal. The Dutch forward smashes a shot goalwards from 20-odd yards out but Kawashima totally misjudges the flight of the ball and it ends up in the back of the net
Photograph: Steve Haag/Getty Images

Dirk Kuyt remembers the Dutch heritage and tries something adventurous
Photograph: Alex Morton/Action Images

The Dutch can't manage to add to their lead and win the match 1-0. A score-line which explains the glum look on these fans' faces. However, all is not lost and Japan now face Denmark in a winner-takes-all battle for qualification on Thursday
Photograph: Daniel Dal Zennaro/EPA

The Ghana fans are up for it in Rustenburg, where their team faces Australia
Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images

Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson looks forlorn as he watches the action, and so he should as it was his error that gives Australia the lead in the 10th minute. Bresciano tried his luck with a curling free-kick which Kingson should have dealt with easily, but it bounces off his biceps and falls loose in front of goal where Brett Holman pounces to lift it high into the net and give the Australians the lead
Photograph: Ryan Pierse/FIFA via Getty Images

Despite his assertions that he will play the whole game, Harry Kewell's partitipation in the match comes to an end in the 23rd minute when he is sent off for handball. He is standing on the line and blocks Annan's shot with the top of his right arm. Despite making them, he really should have no complaints as it is clear red card and penalty
Photograph: Ivan Sekretarev/AP

Asamoah Gyan, centre, dispatches the penalty with aplomb and then celebrates in style with his team-mates
Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

The "perfectly round" Jabulani keeps it's shape when Carl Valeri climbs to win this header. It's a shame the same can't be said for the Australia midfielder's nose
Photograph: Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images

Injury time lives up to it's name when John Pantsil collides with team-mate Lee Addy as they go up for a header. It's a nasty injury, with blood pouring from the wound, and after receiving treatment Pantsil is stretchered off
Photograph: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Seconds later the final whistle goes and Ghana's Jonathan Mensah and Australia's Lucas Neill exchange shirts. The game finishes 1-1 which is a worse result for Australia than Ghana. Ghana sit at the top of the table and although it's still mathematically possible for Australia to go through, the odds on it happening are quite long. View all of our World Cup galleries here
Photograph: Lee Jae-won/Reuters