THERE was World Cup joy for Celtic midfielder Benjamin Nygren as Sweden overcame Poland 3-2 in Stockholm last night.
Former Hoops defender Gustaf Lagerbielke and Anthony Elanga twice put the hosts ahead only for strikes from Nicola Zalewski and Karol Swiderski to pull it back to 2-2 with the game heading for extra-time.
However, Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres settled the dramatic play-off with just two minutes to go with a drive into the roof of the net.
SWEDE DREAMS…Benjamin Nygren and his international team-mates celebrate World Cup qualification.
Graham Potter’s side will be in Group F in the summer soccer extravaganza where the Swedes will feature in Group F and Nygren could face Hoops team-mates Daizen Maeda and Sebastian Tounekti in encounters against Japan and Tunisia.
The Netherlands complete the section.
However, if there was delight for Nygren, there was despair for Rino Gattuso as four-time winners of the trophy Italy crashed 4-1 in the penalty-kick shoot-out against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Italian boss, who spent just over a year at Ibrox, saw his team reduced to 10 men when Alessandro Bastoni was red-carded just before the interval.
ON THE BAWL…defeated Italian boss Rino Gattuso.
The game ended 1-1 after extra-time before it went to spot-kicks and the hosts condemned Italy to defeat, the third time in a row they have failed to qualify for the World Cup Finals.
Denmark, beaten to top spot by Scotland in the qualifying group, are also out after losing 3-1 on penalties following a 2-2 draw with Czechia in Prague.
Kosovo’s dream of a World Cup debut was dashed by a 1-0 home defeat to Turkey.
Haiti, Scotland’s opponents in the first game in Boston on June 14, continued their preparations with a 1-1 draw against Iceland in Toronto.
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