Greeks hail their 'Lions'

From the capital Athens to Greece's hundreds of islands, Greeks sought each other out in town squares and on beaches to cheer, dance, set off fireworks and marvel that two months before the Athens Olympics they are already in the spotlight of world sport.

"They were fantastic, brilliant. They were lions," said shop owner Dimitris Papadopoulos in the Athens main nightlife district of Plaka.

"Now we are going to win the whole thing. We're going to take it. Everybody thought that France would have beaten us by four or more goals. But now that we are in the semi-finals, we are going all the way."

"It is unbelieveable, undescribable. I really cannot believe it. It's the greatest moment in our sports history that we beat all those great teams," said fellow shop owner Nikos Bakosis.

"But I don't know how it has happened. Maybe it's gifts from the Gods."

HOT FAVOUITES

Within minutes of Greece winning the match against hot favourites and champions France, town squares across the country of 10

Streets were jammed with cars and motor bikes blowing their horns and people waving every size of Greek flag and setting off ship flares.

Even the capital's famed stray dogs, who are just part of the scenery for most city residents, joined in the din barking endlessly at the uproar around them.

On the island of Evia off Athens, where, as in many places elsewhere, hundreds of people watched giant TV screen set up on the beach, housewife Katya Velissariou screamed with tears streaming down her cheeks: "Greece is going to burn tonight."

Greece's most famed sports commentator Yannis Diakogiannis spoke for all Greeks when he said that with the Olympic Games still to come in Athens in August, the country, which has known little sporting success in recent years, was in the midst of a magical era.

"This is the best advertisement there could possibly be for the Olympic Games. This is the summer of Greece," he said.