Group B
Manager: Otto Rehhagel
Star Player : Sotirios Kyrgiakos
Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: 1
Best result: 1st round (1994)
All-time record: 3 games played, 0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses
Goals for: 0, Goals against: 10
Biggest defeat: 4-0 vs. Argentina and Bulgaria in 1994
Most appearances: Several players (3 matches)
Hosted the World Cup: Never
LIVE STREAM GREECE MATCHES :
June 12, 2010 @ 11:30GMT Group Stage Group B
South Korea vs Greece
at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
June 17, 2010 @ 14:00GMT Group Stage Group B
Greece vs Nigeria
at Free State Stadium
June 22, 2010 @ 18:30GMT Group Stage Group B
Greece vs Argentina
at Peter Mokaba Stadium
Short History of GREECE:
FIFA member since: 1927Team nickname: Ethniki
All-time caps leader: Theodoros Zagorakis (120)
All-time leading scorer: Nikos Anastopoulos (29 goals)
Notable achievements: European Champions (2004)
Legendary Player: Anthimos Kapsis was a Panathinaikos legend who led the Athens side to the 1971 European Cup final, a 2-0 loss to Ajax.
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- Konstantinos Chalkias Goalkeeper 1.98m 82 kg May 30, 1974
- Michalis Sifakis Goalkeeper 1.85m 77 kg December 10, 1981
- Alexandros Tzorvas Goalkeeper 1.90m 79 kg August 12, 1982
- Giorgos Galitsios Defender 1.83m 76 kg July 6, 1986
- Sotirios Kyrgiakos Defender 1.93m 81 kg July 23, 1979
- Stilianos Malezas Defender 1.92m 81 kg March 11, 1985
- Kostas Manolas Defender 1.79m 67 kg June 14, 1991
- Stergos Marinos Defender 1.78m 70 kg September 17, 1987
- Vaggelis Moras Defender 1.93m 78 kg August 26, 1981
- Avraam Papadopoulos Defender 1.86m 79 kg December 3, 1984
- Sokratis Papastrathopoulos Defender 1.83m 82 kg June 9, 1988
- Giourkas Seitaridis Defender 1.88m 76 kg June 4, 1981
- Nikos Spyropoulos Defender 1.71m 66 kg October 10, 1983
- Vassilis Torosidis Defender 1.88m 80 kg June 10, 1985
- Giorgios Tzavellas Defender 1.83m 80 kg November 26, 1987
- Loukas Vintra Defender 1.84m 76 kg February 5, 1981
- Lazaros Christodoulopoulos Midfielder 1.82m 76 kg December 19, 1986
- Giorgias Karagounis Midfielder 1.75m 69 kg March 6, 1977
- Kostas Katsouranis Midfielder 1.83m 84 kg June 21, 1979
- Grigoris Makos Midfielder 1.73m 74 kg January 18, 1987
- Sotirios Ninis Midfielder 1.73m 69 kg April 3, 1990
- Christos Patsatzoglou Midfielder 1.83m 73 kg March 19, 1979
- Athanassios Prittas Midfielder 1.83m 78 kg January 9, 1979
- Alexandros Tziolis Midfielder 1.89m 84 kg February 13, 1985
- Angelos Charisteas Forward 1.90m 82 kg February 9, 1980
- Theofanis Gekas Forward 1.79m 76 kg May 23, 1980
- Pantelis Kapetanos Forward 1.90m 82 kg June 8, 1983
- Konstantinos Mitroglou Forward 1.88m 86 kg March 12, 1988
- Dimitrios Salpingidis Forward 1.77m 72 kg August 18, 1981
- Georgios Samaras Forward 1.93m 86 kg February 21, 1985
Appearances at finals:
1994 - First round
Overall record at finals: Played 3, Won 0, Drawn 0, Lost 3.
Best performance: Reaching the group stage in 1994.
Most appearances at finals: Ioannis Kalitzakis (1994), Savvas Kofidis (1994), Nikos Nioplias (1994), Nikos Machlas (1994) - 3.
Most goals at finals: Greece have yet to score a World Cup goal.
World Cup high: Beating Ukraine away in their play-off second leg to seal their place at the 2010 World Cup.
World Cup low: Failing to score a single goal during their solitary appearance at the finals in 1994.
World Cup legend: None of the 1994 squad did anything to earn legendary status, but Theofanis Gekas contributed half their goals in qualification for South Africa and topped the UEFA scoring charts.
The story so far: Greece qualified for the 1994 World Cup by topping their qualification group ahead of Russia, and much was expected at their first ever finals. However, their debut ended in unmitigated disaster after they lost 4-0 to Argentina, 4-0 to Bulgaria and 2-0 to Nigeria, exiting without a point or even a goal scored.
Coach Alketas Panagoulias opted to stick with the same players who booked Greece's place at the World Cup rather than search out new talent, and he gave every member of the squad, including the three goalkeepers, a game at the tournament.
Qualification: Despite the exploits of star striker Theofanis Gekas, the top scorer in UEFA qualifying with 10 goals, Greece made hard work of a modest World Cup 2010 qualification group that included Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia and Luxembourg.
After losing home and away to group winners Switzerland, the Greeks were consigned to a play-off with Group Six runners-up Ukraine. Manager Otto Rehhagel stuck to the negative tactics that won Euro 2004 and, following a 0-0 draw in Athens, it looked like the Greeks were going out. But in Donetsk, Dimitrios Salpigidis scored a goal on the counter-attack and that was enough to send Greece to their second World Cup finals.
Qualifying record: P10, W6, D2, L2, F20, A10, Pts20.
Most appearances: Theofanis Gekas and Sotirios Kyrgiakos (11).
Top goalscorer: Theofanis Gekas (10).
TEAM PROFILE GREECE
After seemingly coming from nowhere to triumph at UEFA EURO 2004, Greece continue to defy the odds under wily coach Otto Rehhagel and have clinched qualification for only their second FIFA World Cup™ finals.
Though dismissing Rehhagel would have amounted to high treason, given the regal status ‘King Otto’ has enjoyed since victory on Portuguese soil, failure to reach Germany 2006 and a limp group-stage exit at EURO 2008 had ratcheted up the pressure on the German supremo. The Greek FA kept the faith, however, and were rewarded by qualification for their first global finals since USA 1994.
The road to South Africa
Greece kicked off South Africa 2010 qualifying in impressive fashion, picking up victories over Luxembourg, Latvia and Moldova, scoring eight times and conceding none in the process.
The 2004 European champions subsequently suffered their first loss in Group 2 when going down 2-1 at home to Switzerland, their clearest rivals for an automatic qualifying berth. After bouncing back with four points from their double-header against Israel, drawing 1-1 away and winning 2-1 at home, the Helvetians then undid the Greeks once more – this time triumphing 2-0 on Swiss soil.
Rehhagel’s troops then allowed Switzerland to extend their advantage in the standings by only drawing 1-1 in Moldova, a result that also brought Latvia back into the hunt for second. A thumping 5-2 victory over the latter in Greece’s penultimate group match virtually clinched a play-off spot, however, which was sealed by the final day 2-1 win against Luxembourg.
The European Zone play-off draw pitted captain Georgios Karagounis and Co against Ukraine, opponents who had taken four points from the Greeks in Group 2 of qualifying for Germany 2006. This time around, after a 0-0 draw in Athens, Greece grabbed a 1-0 second-leg success in Donetsk, the decisive goal coming from Dimitrios Salpingidis.
The star players
There will be no shortage of experience for the Greeks to call on come South Africa 2010. Chief among their veteran performers are defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos, who played more qualifying minutes than any other squad member, and former Inter Milan and Benfica midfielder Karagounis. Nor are they slouches going forward, boasting as they do ten-goal Theofanis Gekas - the top scorer in European Zone qualifying - and the physical presence of four-goal Angelos Charisteas, scorer of the winner in the final at EURO 2004.
The coach
South Africa 2010 will be coach Rehhagel’s first FIFA World Cup finals, where he is set to be the oldest strategist on show. After a glittering career in his homeland, the German boss has earned worldwide recognition for his achievements with the Greek national team since taking over in 2001.
With Greece having only reached one FIFA World Cup and one European Championship prior to his arrival, within three years of taking the post Rehhagel had guided the Greeks to EURO glory, before going on to clinch qualification for both EURO 2008 and South Africa 2010.
• Greece will be determined to improve on their showing at USA 1994, where they sank to group-stage defeats against Argentina (4-0), Bulgaria (4-0) and Nigeria (2-0) and headed for home at the first hurdle.
• That competition on United States’ soil was the Greeks’ first and only previous appearance at the finals of a FIFA World Cup.
What they said
“The players have been rewarded for their incredible passion and competitive spirit. We said that before achieving success you need to have the Gods on your side.” Otto Rehhagel, Greece coach.
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