BUDAPEST: Hungary’s 30-year wait to play on the major championship stage will end in France next year after their 2-1 victory over Norway ensured that one of football’s most storied nations qualified for the Euro 2016 finals.

The triumph, which sealed their 3-1 victory on aggregate in front of an ecstatic crowd in the Groupama Arena, guaranteed Hungary’s first appearance in any championship finals since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

“I have to congratulate my team, the association president Sandor Csanyi, and also Pal Dardai, who I took over from and he left this team for me,” said Hungary’s German coach Bernd Storck who took charge in July.

“The players’ approach was fantastic during those two games, they fought well and deserved to qualify to France.”

Norway coach Per-Mathias Hogmo said failing to score in the first leg in Oslo on Thursday complicated his team’s chances in Budapest, as they were forced into an attacking game from the start.

“Hungary were better than us during two games,” Hogmo said. “I’m very disappointed we didn’t come up to a better level.”

The Hungarians built on their first-leg win when Tamas Priskin curled in a delightful 14th-minute opener and Markus Henriksen’s own goal on 83 minutes made the tie safe.

Henriksen atoned with a late goal but it was scant consolation for the Norwegians as the home side celebrated qualifying for the European Championship finals for the first time since 1972.

The toast of Budapest was Hungary’s 39-year-old Gabor Kiraly, who made a series of superb saves over the two legs.

Ferencvaros’ home ground erupted almost like never before when Priskin scored, deftly controlling a long pass from Tamas Kadar before eluding a pair of defenders and shooting into the upper left corner, out of reach for Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland for his 17th goal in 54 international appearances.

Kiraly, who was making a record-equalling 101st appearance for Hungary, had to make a fine save from Haitam Aleesami’s low shot in the 27th minute after a flowing passing move from the visitors and Norway came even closer when Even Hovland’s header from a corner hit the post in the 45th minute.

Balazs Dzsudzsak’s deflected shot struck the crossbar in the 58th minute after a rare counter-attack by the hosts, who dropped deeper to defend their overall two-goal advantage.

Kiraly made another excellent save in the 76th minute when he parried Marcus Pedersen’s close-range shot before the tie was effectively sealed seven minutes from time as Dzsudzsak’s corner was bundled under pressure into his own net by Henriksen.

The AZ Alkmaar man then pulled one back for Norway in the 87th minute but it was too little, too late for Norway, whose last appearance at the Euros was back in 2000.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015