2026 WCQ: Belarus - Greece (18 November 2025 21:45 EET, Zte Arena, Zalaegerszeg (Hungary))

[Omonoia9]

Greece:

 

Karetsas IN

Masouras OUT

[Omonoia9]

Denmark has equalized, but now they have a red card

[Omonoia9]

Belarus:

 

Barkovski IN

Lisakovich OUT

[Omonoia9]

Final Greek substitution:

 

Kourbelis IN

Mantalos OUT

[Omonoia9]

Scotland back up 2-1

[Omonoia9]

Just now, Omonoia9 said:

Scotland back up 2-1

Then 10-man Denmark make it 2-2!

[Omonoia9]

+3

[Omonoia9]

Belarus 0-0 Greece   FT

 

I want to believe if it was still in play for us we would have won, but I don't know if we can say that. Shame

[Greekoz]

That starting 11 was a joke. Whats the point of using players that wont be part of our next cycle? Farewell games? Did these "legends" win us a euro or take us to a major tournament to deserve an extra game? Jovanovic has ended up being a massive dissapointment.

[Omonoia9]

Late winner for Scotland!

[Omonoia9]

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS

 

Scotland-13

Denmark-11

Greece-7

Belarus-2

[Brklyngrk]

Crazy - why set up the team this way, unless he was trying to be fired. You don't put in 30+ year old players when you have nothing to play for.  You have teenagers trying to getting their first call ups, let them play!!

[Ellada2004]

What an absolute disgraceful way to end this miserable campaign. Why did Jovanovich start Mantalos and Masouras as another member here posted did they win us a Euro and deserve a big send off? Karetsas can never be left out of the starting lineup when available end of story! Jovanovich as much as I like and respect him has to just leave the job it was a shambles of a campaign, not qualifying directly from this group and an average but very lucky Scotland team is in the World Cup that just says it all. Finishing with 7pts and being eliminated with two matchdays remaining is a total disgrace!

[Dean97]

I am so thankful for Ivan calling up and playing our most talented young guys but at the same time stuck with the failed older generation that haven’t gotten the team to any tournaments the past 10 years. On top of that his coaching also failed this team. 

The failure in qualifying and this team he put out in this game told me everything I needed to know. He has to leave. Thank you but it’s time to move on. We should’ve topped the group in my opinion. Also thank you to players like Bakasetas, Masouras, Siopis, Mantalos and Kourbelis but you’re no longer needed in this team. Let’s start over with a coach that will help this new young generation and let’s finally get work. 

 

[Brklyngrk]

Throwing out that lineup meant one of two things - those guys are done with the team or he is done with the team. We shall see which one it was.  He did do a great job of bringing up the kids and giving them playing time - not sure if the kids forced his hand or it was him the initiative but that was promising.  Seems like he stalled after the first Denmark game.

[Antaeus7]

Scotland winning the group was surprising, if only had Greece got the results at home to Denmark and in Scotland, Greece would have won the group or get into the playoffs and face "Skopja" and the winners between Czech Republic-Ireland. 

Edited November 21 by Antaeus7

[Ellada2004]

On 11/19/2025 at 4:26 AM, Dean97 said:

I am so thankful for Ivan calling up and playing our most talented young guys but at the same time stuck with the failed older generation that haven’t gotten the team to any tournaments the past 10 years. On top of that his coaching also failed this team. 

The failure in qualifying and this team he put out in this game told me everything I needed to know. He has to leave. Thank you but it’s time to move on. We should’ve topped the group in my opinion. Also thank you to players like Bakasetas, Masouras, Siopis, Mantalos and Kourbelis but you’re no longer needed in this team. Let’s start over with a coach that will help this new young generation and let’s finally get work. 

 

I agree with you that he did bring in the youth but he did not utilize them well. Why is Kourbelis starting? He was the worst player on the pitch at home vs Denmark dribbling around our box and cost us a goal. He was not in game shape coming from the Saudi league and Jovanovich starts him in a match of this magnitude! Bakasetas, Masouras, Manatalos, Kourbelis and Siopis cant be part of the team going forward. I thank them for their efforts for the NT but during their tenure Greece have qualified for ZERO major tournaments. Mantalos who first appeared at Euro 2016 qualifier vs Romania under Ranieri has failed to get us to a World Cup or Euro and he has only had a few great matches that I can recall like the NL match a few years ago vs Kosovo. Its time for a fresh start! This last campaign was a major failure that none of us saw coming.

[Dean97]

22 hours ago, Ellada2004 said:

I agree with you that he did bring in the youth but he did not utilize them well. Why is Kourbelis starting? He was the worst player on the pitch at home vs Denmark dribbling around our box and cost us a goal. He was not in game shape coming from the Saudi league and Jovanovich starts him in a match of this magnitude! Bakasetas, Masouras, Manatalos, Kourbelis and Siopis cant be part of the team going forward. I thank them for their efforts for the NT but during their tenure Greece have qualified for ZERO major tournaments. Mantalos who first appeared at Euro 2016 qualifier vs Romania under Ranieri has failed to get us to a World Cup or Euro and he has only had a few great matches that I can recall like the NL match a few years ago vs Kosovo. Its time for a fresh start! This last campaign was a major failure that none of us saw coming.

I totally agree. We need a proper coach with a solid resume. Can’t have coaches of the likes of Skibbe, JVS, Anastasiadis etc that haven’t done anything in there club coaching careers…

Ivan was ok for the most part but totally bottled it in these important qualifiers. Results need to speak for themselves and he didn’t produce that for us. Total shame. We have a talented generation coming through. We need a coach who has done things in European football that is in the range of the EPO budget. We still need to address the midfield situation. Bakasetas has done good for us and has given us goals but he isn’t the player to lead this team to a tournament. Everyone knows why. Kourbelis and Mantalos I don’t even know why they are still here… Also we need to start addressing our defence aswell.

We should be looking at younger players continuously and should be hiring a coach that has managed at high levels around Europe. I knew there was a certain ceiling with Ivan but was hoping it wouldn’t be the case. 

Time for a new coach. Time to get rid of Kourbelis, Mantalos Bakasetas etc. Time for the new generation to come in and make things happen with a coach that will enhance their abilities and take them to a major tournament. The talent is there for it. 

 

[Ellada2004]

On 11/23/2025 at 4:31 PM, Dean97 said:

I totally agree. We need a proper coach with a solid resume. Can’t have coaches of the likes of Skibbe, JVS, Anastasiadis etc that haven’t done anything in there club coaching careers…

Ivan was ok for the most part but totally bottled it in these important qualifiers. Results need to speak for themselves and he didn’t produce that for us. Total shame. We have a talented generation coming through. We need a coach who has done things in European football that is in the range of the EPO budget. We still need to address the midfield situation. Bakasetas has done good for us and has given us goals but he isn’t the player to lead this team to a tournament. Everyone knows why. Kourbelis and Mantalos I don’t even know why they are still here… Also we need to start addressing our defence aswell.

We should be looking at younger players continuously and should be hiring a coach that has managed at high levels around Europe. I knew there was a certain ceiling with Ivan but was hoping it wouldn’t be the case. 

Time for a new coach. Time to get rid of Kourbelis, Mantalos Bakasetas etc. Time for the new generation to come in and make things happen with a coach that will enhance their abilities and take them to a major tournament. The talent is there for it. 

 

Great points Dean, I said that EPO should just go all in for Klopp or a coach of that standard someone who has won a champions league or major international trophy like a Mancini for example. It will cost $ but the ROI will be greater if coach gets Greece back to the Euros. If we do not land a big name no nonsense coach I feel it will be hard to qualify for Euros as we will most likely have a tough draw given our ranking. Jovanovich did an incredible job initially in NL winning in England were hardly anyone wins competitive matches. We should have topped that group if not for giving up 3 goals in the reverse fixture and Greece would have had a playoff spot now. Greece were handed a dream draw getting Denmark from all the pot 1 juggernauts and Scotland who we have outclassed in NL. Still Jovanovich whom I like as a manager completely messed up our chances in that home match vs Denmark. Had we at least got a draw there it would have given us momentum going into the crucial October matches but he screwed up big time with the starting lineup and his subs at HT were baffling taking of Karetsas when we where chasing a goal? 

After this match we know what happened as the team had huge meltdowns in Scotland and Denmark. I agree with you about our defense but why did Jovanovich not fix this after the Denmark match. Koulerakis was one of our worst players. Hopefully we get our defending back to what we are use to giving up 12 goals against!