Denmark's players had two goals before their European Championship quarter-final -- beat the Czech Republic to reach the semi-finals at Wembley and make their nation proud. They achieved both on Saturday.
First half goals from Thomas Delaney and Kasper Dolberg were enough to eke out a 2-1 win over the Czechs, who were briefly uplifted by Patrik Schick's early second half goal which made the Danes sweat until the final whistle.
"It's hard to put into words... The Czech Republic is an insanely difficult team to play against. We played well in the first half, but the second was difficult," Kasper Schmeichel told Denmark's DR TV.
"We can fight and fight, and we did. It was a great relief when he blew the final whistle. Right now we are going to enjoy it.
"We are not thinking too far ahead, because we have achieved something great. These moments come so rarely. We are insanely grateful for the support of the fans. We talked about it in the dressing room before the match, we want to make them proud."
The team has been riding a wave of emotion since playmaker Christian Eriksen survived a cardiac arrest in their group stage opener in Copenhagen.
Since then, Kasper Hjulmand's side have stormed into the knockout stages where they convincingly beat Wales 4-0 in the last 16 in Amsterdam before their quarter-final win set a date at Wembley where they will face either Ukraine or England.
A match in Baku meant only a few fans travelled but there was still a sizeable and noisy Danish contingent in the stands spurring them on while the two goals sparked wild celebrations back home.
"We set a goal, we were going back to Wembley and now we are here. No, I'm looking forward, man," goal scorer Delaney said.
"I'm just looking forward to watching video from Copenhagen. It feels like we are at home. The support we get and the joy we feel. From Denmark to Baku, man. It's so cool."
Denmark have reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1992 and skipper Simon Kjaer described their progress as an "insane achievement".
"We had a goal before the European Championships that was about going to Wembley," Kjaer said.
"An insane achievement, the whole team, everyone around us."
Reuters
Sat Jul 03 2021

Denmark players celebrate after the match. - REUTERS/Tolga Bozoglu

Almost half of chronic kidney patients in Malaysia lost their jobs - study
The study raises concerns about the future of chronic kidney patients, especially those who rely on long-term dialysis treatment.

Beware of scam tactics using AI
The drastic development of AI technology is being taken advantage of by scammers to reap huge profits by using various latest tactics.

Fired and rehired - the dizzying confusion of Trump's government overhaul
They have adopted a blunt force approach toward the wholesale firing of workers, often focusing on workers who are easier to fire.

Arab states scramble to counter Trump's Gaza 'Riviera' plan
Arab states trying to devise an alternative plan have yet to tackle critical issues like who will foot the bill for Gaza's reconstruction.

Chinese universities launch DeepSeek courses to capitalise on AI boom
Universities across China have launched artificial intelligence courses this month based on Chinese AI startup DeepSeek.

Astronomers reveal 3D structure of an alien planet's atmosphere
Astronomers find three layers on a scorching gas planet orbiting a star larger and hotter than the sun.

Public flips car involved in road accident to rescue child
According to JBPM, members of the public at the scene took initial action to rescue the victim before the fire brigade arrived.

Ramsay reveals hundreds of lucky cat statues stolen from new restaurant
Gordon Ramsay says about 477 Japanese cat models called maneki-neko were stolen from his Lucky Cat 22 Bishopsgate restaurant.

Zayn Rayyan case: Two child witnesses complete testimony today
So far, 20 prosecution witnesses, including the two children, have been called for this trial, according to the Deputy Public Prosecutor.

Macron says he will tell Trump not to be weak with Putin in Washington visit
Emmanuel Macron says showing any weakness to Russia's Vladimir Putin would make it harder to deal with China and Iran.

Israeli PM Netanyahu says Hamas will pay for not returning Shiri Bibas
Netanyahu accuse Hamas of acting "in an unspeakably cynical manner" by placing body of a Gaza woman in the coffin instead of Shiri Bibas.

Trump pulls US out of key global climate assessment, sources say
The US is a co-chair along with Malaysia of a working group on climate mitigation, or ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Japan to court Tesla on Nissan investment, FT reports
The group hopes Tesla will invest strategically, believing it's interested in acquiring Nissan's US plants, the report says.

185 children linked to GISB handed over to families - Exco
The children have been handed over to their families on bond with conditions by the court.

IRS fires 6,000 employees as Trump slashes US government
The move will eliminate roughly 6% of the agency's workforce in the midst of the busy tax-filing season.

Elon Musk wields chainsaw at conservative gathering, a gift from Argentina's Milei
This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy, says Elon Musk.
![[OPINION] For never again the world must know more about the Khojaly genocide [OPINION] For never again the world must know more about the Khojaly genocide](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2025-02/41740112820_KhazarUniversity.jpg)
[OPINION] For never again the world must know more about the Khojaly genocide
For Azerbaijanis, the Khojaly genocide is more than a historical event - it is a collective trauma that shapes their identity and worldview.

Israeli military says body released by Hamas is not of a hostage
Two bodies were identified as infants, but a third, believed to be their mother, Shiri, didn't match any hostage and remains unidentified.

Key takeaways from Trump-Putin talks: Ukraine, energy, NATO, sanctions
Here's what is known so far about what was discussed.
![[COLUMNIST] Whose rights? Islam, eurocentrism and the limits of human rights [COLUMNIST] Whose rights? Islam, eurocentrism and the limits of human rights](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-09/41726025526_UnitedNations.jpg)
[COLUMNIST] Whose rights? Islam, eurocentrism and the limits of human rights
For as long as rights are understood on Occidental terms, problems would inevitably remain. What is needed is an appreciation of diversity.