PARIS: The Icelandic thunderclap is making its way to Russia.

Iceland added to their incredible European Championship campaign by becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup on Monday. That means the Viking chant popularised by Iceland fans at Euro 2016 will be heard across Russia next year.

Iceland secured an automatic berth by defeating Kosovo 2-0 in Reykjavik to win Group ‘I’ and kick-start celebrations in the island nation of about 330,000 people.

Fireworks were set off after the match at a packed Laugardalsvollur Stadium, and captain Aron Gunnarssonled immediately led the crowd in the traditional chant in which players and fans yell and clap their hands at a rhythmic crescendo that is likened to a Viking war chant.

The chant was a success when Iceland made its major tournament debut at the Euros in France last year, when they stunned by reaching the quarter-finals after drawing with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the group stage and eliminating England in the last 16.

Serbia also qualified for the World Cup for the second time since becoming an independent nation in 2006 with a 1-0 win over Georgia.

The Republic of Ireland secured a playoff spot from Group ‘D’, while Gareth Bale’s Wales were eliminated only 15 months after reaching the semi-finals at Euro 2016.

Spain and Italy won their last qualifying games in Group ‘G’, which had already been won by the Spaniards. Italy were already assured of a playoff spot.

Iceland made history by beating last-placed Kosovo with a goal by Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson in the first half and another by Johann Gudmundsson in the second.

“I thought after Euro 2016 that the hardest thing would be to motivate ourselves again,” said Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson.

“The hardest thing was to get going again after our massive party in France.

“And what’s more in a group contested between Croatia, Turkey, Ukraine and Finland. The success is not an end in itself but a long journey towards a final destination.”

Iceland needed all three points to secure top spot as Croatia, who sacked coach Ante Cacic last week, downed Ukraine 2-0 in Kiev in the fight to claim second place.

Andrej Kramaric struck twice in the second half to send Croatia into next month’s play-offs as Zlatko Dalic took charge of his first match following the 1-1 draw with Finland that prompted the dismissal of Cacic.

Ukraine ended three points behind Croatia in third place.

Aleksandar Prijovic scored after coming on as a second-half substitute to cement Serbia’s place in Russia, ending an eight-year major finals absence. Prijovic struck the winner on 74 minutes in Belgrade as Serbia finished top their group.

“I think we deserved this, although it turned out that the last step was the most difficult one, but we succeeded,” coach Slavoljub Muslin said.

Prijovic said the goal was the most important in his career.

“It was a dream since [my] childhood to score an important goal for the state,” he said.

The result left Wales and Ireland to decide their fate in the Celtic showdown in Cardiff, and the Irish got a 1-0 victory and a playoff berth after James McClean’s 57th-minute goal following a defensive mix-up by the Welsh.

“That last half hour seemed an eternity,” Ireland manager Martin O’Neill said. “We had to withstand pressure but we knew at some stage we would have to try to win the game and we did it.”

Bale couldn’t play for Wales because of injury and manager Chris Coleman admitted the consequences of a first competitive home defeat in four years were tough to digest.

“My players have given everything but it wasn’t enough in the end to get over the line,” he said. “It will hurt for a bit but you learn from defeat and we will learn from tonight.”

The Irish will try to qualify for the World Cup for a fourth time and first since 2002. They will not be seeded in the playoffs draw which will take place on Tuesday.

Spain ended their qualifying campaign by beating Israel 1-0 in Jerusalem, while Italy scraped past Albania 1-0 in Shkoder in another poor effort which will do little to inspire confidence in coach Gian Piero Ventura and his team.

“We have some limitations at the moment but today there was the desire to try and do things,” Ventura said.

With a World Cup berth already secured, Spain played without most of their regular starters in Jerusalem but won thanks to a long-range strike by Asier Illarramendi in the second half.

They finished unbeaten with nine wins and a 1-1 draw against Italy in Turin last year. The Italians ended five points behind Spain.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2017