GEORGIA ON THEIR MIND

A Frenchman, an Englishman and a local genius walk into a Caucasus country to qualify for a first major tournament - is this a joke? Not for Georgia, who are dreaming big

- James Eastham

The ball hits the net, and bearded defensive midfielder Nika Kvekveskiri hesitates for a split-second, almost unwilling to believe the enormity of what he's just done. The sight of his crazed, jubilant team-mates rushing towards him confirms that, yes, his successful penalty - a perfectly placed rightfoot shot that rolls, slow motion-like - is indeed the clincher. Yes, Nika, this really is happening. Yes, Nika, you have just qualified Georgia for a first major tournament.

It's March 26, 2024, a date to be circled forever more in Georgian history books. The nerveless Kvekveskiri's spot-kick has secured a 4-2 penalty shootout win for Georgia over Greece, in the play-off final for Euro 2024.

As some of the 44,000 delirious supporters packed into the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi clamber over the barriers to join in the celebrations taking place by the corner flag, others remain in the stands, some hugging the people closest to them, some simply with heads in hands, as they begin to process witnessing history.

FROM YORK TO TBILISI

Three decades after independence from the Soviet Union, and 14 failed attempts to reach World Cups and European Championships, Georgia are on their way to Germany this summer. The closest they'd come was their Euro 2020 play-off final defeat to North Macedonia, held at the same venue in Tbilisi, but left empty because of COVID restrictions. The eerie silence that accompanied that painful failure made such gleeful communion all the sweeter more than three years on.