Colombia secured their passage to the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Senegal which simultaneously eliminated the Africans via the fair-play rule.

Yerry Mina's 74th-minute header at the Samara Arena this afternoon turned Group H on its head with Japan also going through as runners-up despite losing 1-0 to Poland.

Senegal and Japan finished the group with an identical record of points, goal difference and goals scored, with the former knocked out by virtue of having accumulated two more yellow cards. It means there is no African country in the knockout rounds of the World Cup for the first time in 36 years.

The two teams appeared well matched in the opening salvos but Colombia failed to create anything of note in the first half following Juan Quintero's free kick that was pushed around the post by Khadim N'Diaye.

Davinson Sanchez came to Colombia's rescue several times before the break, although the Tottenham Hotspur defender's first major contribution initially saw him concede a penalty to Senegal on 18 minutes.

Intervention from VAR saw referee Milorad Mazic overturn his original decision, with replays having shown that Sanchez had expertly taken the ball off the toe of Sadio Mane as the Liverpool winger ran through on goal.

Sanchez thwarted Senegal's star man again on 26 minutes after Mane had skilfully turned away from Mina. Keita Balde picked up the second ball but his curling shot was easy pickings for goalkeeper David Ospina.

Colombia were being pushed back against the ropes and suffered a big blow when they lost James Rodriguez, who has six goals and four assists in seven World Cup appearances, to a calf injury just after the half-hour mark.

Despite being second best for much of the first half, the South Americans got to the interval on level terms and that point was suddenly enough to send them through following Jan Bednarek's goal for Poland against Japan.

Upon learning of the goal in Volgograd, Colombia adopted a more defensive approach and were content to try to pinch a goal from a set piece, with Radamel Falcao squandering a decent chance on 66 minutes when he headed wide after running across his marker.

From their next corner, Barcelona defender Mina towered above the Senegalese defence and headed through N'Diaye for his second goal in as many matches.

Senegal responded quickly but their opportunities to equalise fell to the wrong man, with Ismaila Sarr turning away from Mina but failing to seriously test Ospina from 10 yards out. From the resultant corner, Ospina had to dive on the ball ahead of Mane after Mina's attempted clearance had deflected back towards goal.

Sarr snatched at another chance on 80 minutes when his back-post volley lacked conviction, after he had been picked out by Mane's cross, and Senegal did not have another opportunity to rescue their tournament.

Colombia could face England in the next round if the Three Lions lose to Belgium this evening.

SENEGAL (4-2-3-1): K. N'Diaye; Gassama, Sane, Koulibaly, Sabaly (Wague, 74'); Gueye, Kouyate; Mane, Sarr, Keita (Konate, 80'); Niang (Sakho, 86')

COLOMBIA (4-2-3-1): Ospina; Arias, Mina, D. Sanchez, J. Mojica; Cuadrado, Uribe (Lerma, 83'), C.Sanchez, Quintero; James, Falcao (Borja, 89')