Greece beat ten-man Nigeria 2-1 in a thrilling encounter on Thursday to record their first ever victory at a World Cup finals. It also kept their World Cup dreams alive in a match that hinged on a first half red card for the African team.
The Euro 2004 champions — who had lost all three matches in the 1994 finals and then to South Korea in their opening group match here — knew that defeat would end their hopes in South Africa and fell behind early on.
But goals from Dimitrios Salpingidis and Vasileios Torosidis sealed the win in chilly Bloemfontein. Nigeria broke the deadlock on 16 minutes through midfielder Kalu Uche, who swung in a free-kick from near the left corner of the penalty area that eluded everyone and crept in past a bemused Alexandros Tzorvas.
But the Super Eagles’ hopes took a major hit when Sani Kaita was sent off on 33 minutes after kicking out at Torosidis. As half-time approached Greece coach Otto Rehhagel threw on forward Georgios Samaras for defensive midfielder Sokratis Papastathopoulos as the Greeks, renowned for their defensive-minded play, seized the initiative.
The pressure paid off when Salpingidis netted Greece’s first ever goal in a World Cup after his shot deflected into the net to make it 1-1.
— AFP