Slovenia's secure Euro 2024 Spot with Late Winner

In a crucial match on Monday night, Benjamin Verbic emerged as the hero for Slovenia, scoring a late winner to secure his nation’s qualification for Euro 2024. The 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan in Ljubljana ensured Slovenia’s second-ever appearance in the European Championships, with their previous participation being at Euro 2000. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the nation, which last featured in a major tournament at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Slovenia finished as runners-up in Group H, behind Denmark, earning them a coveted spot in the tournament in Germany next summer. On the other hand, Kazakhstan, needing a win for automatic qualification, will have another opportunity through the playoffs in March, courtesy of their promotion to League B in the 2024-25 Nations League.

The pivotal moment in the match came late in the first half when Slovenia was awarded a penalty after a VAR review. Petar Stojanovic was fouled by Yan Vorogovskiy, allowing Benjamin Sesko to convert the spot-kick confidently, giving Slovenia a 1-0 lead. However, Kazakhstan responded in the early second half, with Ramazan Orazov scoring his first international goal to level the score at 1-1. In the 86th minute, Verbic’s curled shot found the corner of the net, securing the late winner and triggering joyous celebrations for Slovenia.