Thomas Linke plays the ball forward (Allsport).

Goals from Marco Bode and Miroslav Klose fired Germany into the last 16 of the World Cup following a bad-tempered Group E clash in Shizuoka.

Both sides finished the game with 10 men after Carsten Ramelow and Patrick Suffo saw red in match that also had 16 yellow cards.

Germany started the match brightly and looked to get forward during the opening exchanges. Christian Ziege created the first chance as he broke free down the left flank, but striker Carsten Jancker could not direct his close-range volley on target.

German captain Michael Ballack, who has been suffering with a foot injury throughout the tournament, wasted another good chance for his team when he blasted high and wide after a clever through-ball from Klose, before Rigobert Song almost netted an own goal as he headed narrowly over his own crossbar.

Just when it looked as if Germany were settling into their stride, Salomon Olembe missed a great chance after 13 minutes. A clever lay-off from Samuel Eto'o sent him clear but goalkeeper Oliver Kahn outwitted the midfielder and stood his ground to gather at the second attempt.

Bernd Schneider tried the most audacious of lobs from just inside the Cameroon half, nearly catching Boukar Alioum off his guard.

Klose, unusually quiet for the first 20 minutes, then had a 25-yard shot blocked by Raymond Kalla.

Pierre Wome brought the best out of Kahn with a blistering free-kick from just outside the area and Song almost scored at the right end but somehow headed Geremi's centre wide of the post as Cameroon stole the initiative.

Tempers became somewhat frayed just after the half-hour mark, with as many as 10 players involved in a scuffle on the edge of the Cameroon area and, when play eventually resumed, Ziege brought a stunning save from Alioum when his curling free-kick seemed destined for the far corner

With only five minutes remaining before the interval, Germany were reduced to 10 men following Ramelow's dismissal.

Eto'o, always sprightly in attack, raced through on goal and was brought down by the Bayer Leverkusen player. The referee had no option but to caution him for the second time in three minutes.

Bode replaced the largely ineffectual Jancker at the start of the second half, leaving Klose as the lone striker.

However, a loose pass by Wome allowed Klose to break forward and, after beating two defenders, he slipped the ball through to Bode and the substitute placed the ball beyond Alioum into the far corner.

Cameroon coach Winnie Schaeffer reacted immediately by replacing defender Bill Tchato with striker Suffo in a bid to get them back in the match.

Lauren then slipped the attentions of his marker inside the penalty area but his well-placed header from Geremi's free-kick came back off the post. Patrick Mboma almost turned in the rebound but Kahn gathered with a sprawling save.

Substitute Suffo then evened the numbers up again, as he received his second yellow card for a foul on Ballack.

Germany doubled their advantage in the 80th minute, when Ballack stole in behind a ragged-looking Cameroon defence and crossed deep for Klose to head beyond the helpless Alioum.

Klose was given a standing ovation when substituted with five minutes remaining.

Teams

Cameroon: Alioum, Tchato (Suffo 53), Kalla, Song, Wome, Geremi, Olembe (Kome 64), Foe, Lauren, Mboma (Job 82), Eto'o.

Subs Not Used: Alnoudji, Djemba-Djemba, Epalle, Kameni, Mettomo, N'Diefi, Ndo, Njanka, Songo'o.

Sent Off: Suffo (77).

Booked: Foe, Song, Tchato, Geremi, Olembe, Suffo, Lauren.

Germany: Kahn, Linke, Ramelow, Metzelder, Frings, Schneider (Jeremies 80), Hamann, Ballack, Ziege, Klose (Neuville 84), Jancker (Bode 46).

Subs Not Used: Asamoah, Baumann, Bierhoff, Bohme, Butt, Kehl, Lehmann, Rehmer, Ricken.

Sent Off: Ramelow (40).

Booked: Jancker, Hamann, Ballack, Ramelow, Kahn, Ziege, Frings.

Goals: Bode 50, Klose 79.

Att: 47,085

Ref: A Lopez Nieto (Spain).