By CNN
—
There were tears of joy, parties in the streets and a pitch invasion in the stadium as Georgia celebrated in style on Tuesday, after its men’s soccer team made history by qualifying for Euro 2024.
The world No. 77 knew it needed to beat Greece in the playoff final to reach its first major tournament and did so in the most dramatic, nerve-wracking way possible.
After the game finished 0-0 after extra-time, the tie was decided by a penalty shootout which Georgia won 4-2, Nika Kvekveskiri converting the history-making spot-kick to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
It seemed to take Kvekveskiri a second to comprehend the magnitude of what he had just done, before he ran off in celebration with his emotional teammates chasing after him.
Fans inside Tbilisi’s bouncing Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena soon spilled out onto the pitch to celebrate with their new heroes in a sea of red and white, the colors of the Georgian flag.
Videos on social media show the players dancing and singing in the changing rooms after retreating from the pitch. The win was celebrated with equal excitement on the streets of the nation’s capital.
“Some did not believe in us, but now they will believe it. We are happy. I have never had such an emotion in my life,” Georgia talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia told 1TV Sport, per Reuters.
“Thanks to the Georgian fans. I’ve played in many stadiums, but I haven’t seen such support anywhere. You were the most important factor.”
It was a nervy affair on the night, with neither side wanting to throw away their shot at competing in Germany later this year.
Chances to score were at a premium in the opening exchanges, with tempers flaring between both teams as the game wore on – Georgia’s substitute goalkeeper Giorgi Loria was even shown a red card moments before half-time as both benches ran onto the pitch when a scuffle broke out.
The game then sprang into life in extra-time, with Greece’s Konstantinos Mavropanos hitting the crossbar before Georgia’s Zuriko Davitashvili forced Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos into a smart save from close range.
With the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch, the game went to penalties and it was Georgia which kept its nerve to qualify for a major tournament in its 15th attempt.
The team, coached by former France international Willy Sagnol, will now join Group F at Euro 2024, alongside Portugal, Czech Republic and Turkey.
Greece – the surprise winner of Euro 2004 – has now failed to qualify for a major tournament for 10 years, its last appearance coming at the 2014 World Cup.
