LONDON: World champions Germany and perennial also-rans Albania do not share much in common in soccer but both were united in joy on Sunday when they qualified for Euro 2016 in France along with Romania and Poland.

The World Cup winners, who have lifted the Henri Delauney trophy three times as European champions, left it late but sealed their spot with a 2-1 win over already-eliminated Georgia which gave them top spot in Group D.

Albania, who have never previously reached the World Cup or European Championship since first entering both in the mid-1960s as a secretive state shrouded in hard-line communist aloofness, secured their place with a 3-0 win over Armenia in Yerevan.

Poland finished behind Germany with a 2-1 win over Ireland in Warsaw forcing the Irish into the playoffs.

Romania also secured their berth in France when they won 3-0 in the wintry Faroe Islands to secure second place in Group F behind already-qualified Northern Ireland.

Results:

Germany 2Georgia 1

Gibraltar 0Scotland 6

Poland 2Republic of Ireland 1

Faroe Islands 0Romania 3

Finland 1Northern Ireland 1

Greece 4Hungary 3

Armenia 0Albania 3

Serbia 1Portugal 2

Published in Dawn, October 13th , 2015

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