Eriksson and the England bench watch on

By PA Sport Staff

England went through to the last 16 of the World Cup with a lacklustre 0-0-draw against Nigeria here.

After the euphoria of Argentina it was a stuttering display from England, who now play Denmark in Niigata on Saturday.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said: "Our first target was to qualify. We needed to do that. It was very difficult but 0-0 is okay today.

"We knew Nigeria would not want to lose. They wanted to try to win it. We had more chances but did not score. Let us hope we save that for Saturday."

Asked if he would have preferred to have met Senegal, Eriksson said: "It does not matter who we get. African teams can keep the ball. Now we have to beat Denmark."

England defender Rio Ferdinand said: "Nigeria did not disappoint us. We knew they would be tough and they were.

"I can't wait for Saturday. Everyone said we wouldn't get out of our group but we were up for this game.

"I watched Denmark on television when they beat France and that says it all. We are all looking forward to Denmark now."

Ferdinand added: "The pressure was on us in this game after doing so well against Argentina.

"The heat was crazy, the hottest conditions I have played in. My feet were burning. We just want to get stuck in now."

Captain David Beckham, who put in a quiet performance by his high standards, explained the England players had struggled to deal with the heat.

"It wasn't comfortable because of the heat more than anything," he said. "They had a few chances but our back four were excellent throughout the game.

"We had a few chances, you get those chances. You get one and you hope to take it, but we didn't take any of them.

"But we are happy we have got the draw."

England had always known a point would have been good enough to see them qualify from Group F, and Beckham revealed neither him nor any of his team-mates had been kept informed of the score in the other game which ended 1-1 between Sweden and Argentina.

"At one point England fans were singing '1-0 to Sweden' so we assumed that was it," he said. "But it didn't matter what happened in that game so long as we did our job."

England now face Denmark in Niigata on Saturday and Beckham claimed: "It might suit our game a bit more but whatever, it was always going to be a hard game.

"We always said so long as we get through, then you never know what might happen.

"It was always going to be different to the Argentina game. The atmosphere was good today but the atmosphere against Argentina was something else. None of us have ever experienced anything like that."

Nigeria coach Festus Onigbinde believes the goalless draw with England represented the dawn of a new era for the Super Eagles.

Onigbinde brought in several youngsters as his side salvaged a point from the tournament after two defeats in the 'Group of Death'.

"We had two objectives today," explained Onigbinde. "One was to present a team that would not be disgraced at a World Cup finals and the other was to lay a foundation for a new Super Eagles.

"I believe, particularly from the line-up I presented this afternoon, it is clear we have a sound foundation for a new team.

"With what we have seen today, I believe that the Nigerian national team will have a very formidable team within the next six months if we continue with this crusade."

Onigbinde is expected to now step down as coach while the Nigerian football association continue their search for a foreign replacement.

However, the coach believes divine intervention prevented them going further in the tournament.

"I sincerely believe it was the will of God that prevented us from qualifying for the second round," he said.

"We played well enough to have beaten Argentina and we played well enough to have beaten Sweden hands down."

Meanwhile captain Jay Jay Okocha hinted he may yet keep on playing for the national side after earlier declaring this would be his final game.

The Paris St Germain midfielder said: "I think this is my last but I would never say never.

"However we must start creating a new team because it's important to give the young players the opportunities."