FORTALEZA, Brazil (AP) :

Greece do not score often at the World Cup, but their goals certainly come at the right time. Greece doubled their total scoring tally at World Cup tournaments by netting twice against the Côte d'Ivoire yesterday - the second coming through an injury-time penalty that secured a 2-1 victory and a spot in the knockout rounds.

Having gone scoreless through their first two games in Brazil - a loss and a draw - the Greeks are now improbably into the round of 16 for the first time in their history - when European powers like Spain, Italy and England are going home.

Côte d'Ivoire only needed a draw to advance at Greece's expense and were a couple of minutes away from celebrating when Georgios Samaras was adjudged to have been tripped in the area by substitute Giovanni Sio. Samaras calmly slotted in the spot kick for a last-gasp win that eliminated the Africans.

"This means so much to me, to us ... Tonight we had energy," Samaras said, dedicating the win to Greeks suffering through financial crisis. "We really hope we can make the people happy back home. We are a team. A team - that's it."

Celebrations erupted in Greece, where the game ended well after midnight. Thousands of fans poured into the streets to celebrate in Athens, and the country's second largest city Thessaloniki.

Greece only scored twice in their previous two World Cup tournaments and lost their opening game in Brazil to eventual Group C winners Colombia 3-0 before holding Japan 0-0.

Yesterday, they took the lead just before half-time through substitute Andreas Samaris, who punished Ivorian Ismael Tiote for a careless pass backward.

Substitute Wilfried Bony equalised for Ivory Coast in the 74th, beating goalkeeper Pangiotis Glykos from close range after being set up by Gervinho.