Chris Maduewesi
Member
A stoppage time penalty made all the difference in the game when it looked as though Ivory Coast was headed for the next round,but instead it was the Ivorians who are exiting the tournament.
Ivory Coast needed just a point in the game to be sure of the next round,especially as Colombia was doing the job for them by defeating Japan.
However they have been their own undoing in Brazil,once again falling short on the big stage despite boasting of big-name players in their ranks.
Didier Drogba made his first start of the tournament,but it looked like it boomeranged starting him.
Greece came close on different occasions,thrice hitting the post in each half as they rattled the Ivorians.
The Europeans went in front in the first half after Georgios Samaras pounced on a short pass by Chieck Tiote and touching it for Andreas Samaris who raced on with the ball to lift it over the onrushing Barry and into the net.
Ivory Coast came into the second half needing to salvage something in order to go through.
Gervinho picked out a pass to substitute Wilfried Bony who slotted in the equalizer to put Ivory Coast level at 1-1.
Before the game,Ivory Coast president Alhassan Outtara promised to double their bonuses if they make it to the second round and it looked like they were on the path to acheiving it.
But there was to a heartbreak for Ivory Coast who conceded a controversial penalty in stoppage time,after an Ivorian appeared to have clipped Samaras in the box.
It was a cruel penalty to concede in the game at that time of the match,and Samaras showed no mercy when he stabbed in the penalty kick beyond Barry to seal victory.
Greece with the win made history as they qualified for the last 16 for the first time ever,Ivory Coast will have to wait for their own turn as the lights were once again put off from their golden generation.
Meanwhile Jackson Martinez netted twice as Colombia defeated Japan 4-1 to finish top of Group C with a 100% record of three wins in three games.
Juan Cuadrado gave Colombia the lead after 17 minutes from the penalty spot but Shinji Okazaki's diving header equalised to give the Japanese hope going into the break.
Martinez put Colombia back in the lead, firing into the lower corner and also getting the third goal before James Rodriguez got the fourth goal.
However the moment of the game went to 43-year-old goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon who came in as a substitute.
He became the oldest player in history to ever play a World Cup game. He was in the Colombian squad that played at the 1994 World Cup in the United States of America.