Slovenia national football team

The new Slovenian national football team played its first FIFA-recognized game on 3 June 1992 in Tallinn against Estonia. It was not until its third game on 7 April 1993 that the team achieved its first international victory by defeating Estonia 2–0 at the ŽŠD Stadium in Ljubljana, with goals scored by Samir Zulič and Sašo Udovič.

Estonia's first FIFA recognised match as an independent nation after the break-up of the Soviet Union, was against Slovenia on 3 June 1992, a 1–1 draw in the Estonian capital city of Tallinn.

In the period between 1920 and 1991, Slovenia was ineligible to field a separate team for competitive matches; local players instead played for the Yugoslavia national football team.

The first coach of the team was Bojan Prašnikar.

Bojan Prašnikar (born 3 February 1953) is a Slovenian football manager, former player, and the first manager of Slovenia national football team.

Slovenia qualified for its last major tournament in 2009 after defeating Russia in a playoff to clinch a berth for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In the preliminary stage Russia was in Group 1 with Slovenia, FR Yugoslavia, and Switzerland, Faroe Islands, and Luxembourg.

He decided in favor of Maribor, and the Football Association of Slovenia appointed Srečko Katanec as the head coach.

Srečko Katanec (born 16 July 1963) is a Slovenian football manager and a former player, capped for Yugoslavia and Slovenia.

The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with Igor Benedejčič scoring the first goal for the new team.

Benedejčič was capped for the Slovenian national team.

It was not until its third game on 7 April 1993 that the team achieved its first international victory by defeating Estonia 2–0 at the ŽŠD Stadium in Ljubljana, with goals scored by Samir Zulič and Sašo Udovič.

He played 42 times for the Slovenia national football team and was a participant at the Euro 2000.

In 1999, Slovenia qualified for the UEFA Euro 2000 after eliminating Ukraine in a playoff.

Their next home game against Slovenia ended goalless.

Slovenia finished in second place, with Zlatko Zahovič scoring eight out of twelve team goals.

Although primarily a midfielder, he scored 11 goals in 32 Champions League appearances and 35 in 80 for the Slovenian national team.

In a group with Croatia, Denmark, Greece, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the team finished in last place with only one point in eight matches and a goal differential of −15. Slovenia was drawn into a group with Norway, Greece, Latvia, Albania, and Georgia.

In their Euro 2000 qualifying group, Greece finished again in third place, two points behind second-placed Slovenia in a highly disappointing campaign that saw the team lose at home to Latvia.

It was not until its third game on 7 April 1993 that the team achieved its first international victory by defeating Estonia 2–0 at the ŽŠD Stadium in Ljubljana, with goals scored by Samir Zulič and Sašo Udovič.

Zulič has made eight appearances for the senior Slovenia national football team.

From 1994–1997, the team was managed by Zdenko Verdenik, who was the first to lead the team through qualifications for a major tournament.

He coached NK Olimpija, Slovenia under-21 team, Slovenia senior team, FK Austria Wien, JEF United Ichihara, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Vegalta Sendai, and Omiya Ardija.

Seven minutes later, Sebastjan Cimirotič managed to score the first World Cup goal for Slovenia to reduce the score to 2–1.

He played for the Slovenia national football team and was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring the nation's first ever World Cup goal.

Slovenia was drawn into a group with Norway, Greece, Latvia, Albania, and Georgia.

Albania started the qualifiers and was, at one point, 2nd in group with six matches played and four to spare, but failed to be successful in the last four, losing away in Slovenia and Iceland, as well as at home against Switzerland, and drawing in Cyprus.

Slovenia achieved another success two years later, qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, this time defeating Romania in a playoff.

They drew Slovenia, who had been surprise qualifiers for Euro 2000 in a playoff for a place in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

Slovenia won the game 2–1 with the goals from Milenko Ačimovič in the first half and Milan Osterc in the second half.

Osterc played 44 matches for Slovenia and was a participant at the Euro 2000 and 2002 FIFA World Cup.

In the second leg in Bucharest, Slovenia took the lead with a goal scored by Mladen Rudonja, which was his first and only goal for the national team in 65 appearances.

Despite this, he did not score a goal for the Slovenian national side until his 53rd cap - in the second leg of a playoff for the 2002 World Cup against Romania in Bucharest.

For its first major tournament, Slovenia was drawn into group C together with Spain, Yugoslavia, and Norway.

The draw for the finals placed Yugoslavia in Group C along with Spain, Norway and another former Yugoslav republic, Slovenia.

Slovenia played in the group B with Spain, Paraguay, and South Africa.

Placed in Group B along with Spain, Paraguay and debutants Slovenia at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, South Africa had high hopes of progressing to the knockout phase of the tournament.

In January 2007, Matjaž Kek was appointed as the new manager of the national team.

Matjaž Kek (born 9 September 1961) is a Slovenian football manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Slovenia national team.

Slovenia was drawn into a group with Czech Republic, Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, and San Marino.

Slovakia qualified to the FIFA World Cup in 2010 after winning their qualifying group, despite two defeats against Slovenia.

Sergei Rebrov scored in the 68th minute, while Slovenia equalised eight minutes later with a goal scored by Miran Pavlin.

Pavlin made 63 appearances for the senior Slovenia national football team between 1994 and 2004.

The Slovenia national football team (Slovenska nogometna reprezentanca) represents Slovenia in international football, and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia.

It is also responsible for the Slovenia national football team and the Slovenia women's national football team.

In the second leg, played in Maribor, Slovenia defeated Russia 1–0 with a goal by Zlatko Dedić.

Zlatko Dedić (born 5 October 1984) is a Slovenian international footballer who plays as a forward for WSG Wattens.

The match ended 2–1 for the home side, with Nejc Pečnik scoring an away goal for Slovenia late in the game.

He represented Slovenia at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.