Two new faces for Greek team
European champions Greece have named two uncapped players for their squad that will play Georgia and Albania in this month’s World Cup qualifiers. Coach Otto Rehhagel has called up Panathinaikos defender Loukas Vintra and striker Fanis Gekkas to replace injured Olympiakos Piraeus duo Stelios Venetidis and Giorgios Georgiadis. Gekkas is the top scorer in the Greek league, having netted 10 goals for Kallithea and another four since joining Panathinaikos in the January transfer window. Vintra scored a stunning goal in the 1-0 UEFA Cup first-knockout-round, first-leg win over Sevilla in Athens in February. Greece, who are second in Group 2, six points behind Ukraine with a game in hand, play Georgia in Tbilisi on March 26 and host Albania in Piraeus four days later. The team began its World Cup qualifying campaign in subdued fashion with a loss to Albania in Tirana and a home draw against Turkey, but has since gained ground by confining Ukraine to a draw in Kiev and defeating Kazakhstan and Denmark in Athens. (Reuters, Kathimerini)
