Slovak newspapers on Friday hailed the national team’s unexpected victory over defending champions Italy 3-2 to advance to the last 16 at the World Cup.
“Slovakia is having an unbelievable football orgasm,” said the daily Plus, in trademark tabloid style.
A photograph of the Slovak squad hugging after the final whistle in Thursday’s match was splashed over the front page of the country’s leading broadsheet SME.
“The Slovak miracle happened in Africa,” said the SME headline.
“Slovak football has earned the respect of the entire world,” the daily claimed.
For the Novy Cas newspaper, meanwhile, the game was an “unbelievably thrilling match with a happy end.”
“The world champions are going home. It was Slovakia who finished them off,” it said.
Slovakia, making their first ever appearance at the World Cup finals, beat Italy after being slammed by fans for a lacklustre 1-1 draw with New Zealand and a 0-2 loss to Paraguay which also sparked a row between coach Vladimir Weiss and Slovak journalists in South Africa. Slovakia face The Netherlands in their round of 16 knockout match on Monday.
— AFP