The Swiss success ends the hopes of the African side after what has been an extraordinary first appearance on the big stage.

Alexander Frei’s close-range strike after 16 minutes – the first Switzerland have scored at a World Cup for 12 years – gave Kobi Kuhn’s side the perfect start to the match in a crowd overwhelmingly in support of the European side.

Tranquillo Barnetta then finished off the World Cup debutants with a late second to secure a win for the Swiss, who now have high hopes of progressing to the last 16.

Togo, who played the match despite threatening to boycott it over a pay dispute and also started the tournament without a coach before Otto Pfister returned in time for their 2-1 opening defeat by South Korea, now have only a final Group G match with former colonial power France to play.

Togo certainly had their moments in the first half and started well. Mohamed Kader brilliantly turned Philippe Senderos but his shot was saved by Pascal Zuberbuhler.

Togo were looking dangerous and Emmanuel Adebayor headed just wide after a cross from Thomas Dossevi while persistent play from Cherif Toure Mamam allowed Kader to force another save from Zuberbuhler.

Kuhn’s men took the lead after 16 minutes. Full-back Ludovic Magnin surged down the left and crossed to the far post where Barnetta knocked the ball into the middle for Frei and the striker clipped the ball home from close range.

It was Switzerland’s first goal at a World Cup since Adrian Knup netted for a team then coached by Roy Hodgson in Detroit in 1994 as the Swiss beat Romania 4-1.

Togo’s players then furiously berated Paraguayan referee Carlos Amarilla for spurning a penalty appeal late in the first half.

Senderos gave the ball away to substitute Moustapha Salifou who freed Adebayor. The Arsenal player tumbled under a challenge from Patrick Muller but Amarilla rejected the claims.

Switzerland created the first real chance of the second half when Raphael Wicky fed the ball to Barnetta whose shot from the edge of the box was tipped over by Togo goalkeeper Kossi Agassa.

Wicky then dispossessed Assimiou Toure and set up substitute Hakan Yakin who fired over. Ricardo Cabanas then played in Frei whose shot was deflected over by a Togo foot.

Yakin, only called into the squad as a late replacement for the injured Johan Vonlanthen, then missed another good chance for the Swiss although Agassa saved well but the crowd pleaser from Berne-based Young Boys delighted the Swiss fans with an ambitious overhead kick which nonetheless was an easy save for Agassa.

Frei was even more ambitious with a lob from just inside the Togo half that caught Agassa out but was just over the crossbar.

The Sparrowhawks tried to press Switzerland but were finding chances harder to create in the second half.

Barnetta sealed victory at the death when he hammered home from the right side of the area after good work by Mauro Lustrinelli who had just come on as a substitute.