Serbia’s Coming of Age: Giant-killing in Port Elizabeth

Samiran Mishra

22nd June 2018 | 11:00 PM

Serbia played its first ever World Cup as an independent nation in 2010 in South Africa. Unflattering and unimpressive, the Serbians were written off before a ball was kicked, only to produce one of the biggest upsets in the tournament.
Serbia's Coming of Age: Giant killing in Port Elizabeth
Art by Onkar.

“Krasic…Krasic is in behind the German defence, he has pulled it back, Zigic arriving…surely a goal for Serbia who score through Jovanovic!”

This was arguably the most important goal in Serbia’s short footballing history. A nation once deeply troubled by sectarianism, border wars and ethnic conflicts now stood tall by recording its first-ever win at a World Cup event as an independent country.

It sounds strange that the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was Serbia’s debut World Cup considering the country’s rich footballing heritage. Once part of the former Yugoslavia, Serbs, until 2010, took part in international tournaments not as a self-standing nation but as part of a social republic or a union.

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