Final group standings
OVERVIEW
Slovenia are determined to beat the bookmakers who have the former Yugoslav republic as much as 200-1 to triumph this summer.
A team brimming with team spirit borne out of adversity, they will be looking to emulate neighbours Croatia, who surprised everyone by finishing third in the 1998 World Cup.
Slovenia only began life as a footballing nation for the start of qualification for that World Cup and they finished bottom of their group with a mere one point from eight games.
But the arrival of Srecko Katanec just a couple of months after that debacle has galvanised not only the team but seemingly the whole country.
An incredible 5,000 screaming fans turned out in freezing temperatures at 2am to greet the team after they flew in from winning their play-off against the more fancied Ukrainians.
President Milan Kucan invited the squad to an official reception as everyone outside the most enthusiastic fan could have envisaged them beating the mighty Ukraine.
Slovenia were drawn in Group Two for qualifying and were fancied to finish no better than third behind Norway and Greece.
But they got off to a flying start in their opening match in Athens when Zlatko Zahovic's late equalsier gave them a 2-2 draw.
It was to prove invaluable. Though Norway won in Slovenia and went on to win the group comfortably, Slovenia battled Greece all the way for the runners-up spot.
A double over Latvia and also Albania and four points off Georgia put them within striking distance of a play-off spot.
Even a 3-0 home defeat by the Greeks could not spoil the Slovenian party as their 17 points from 10 games cemented their showdown with Ukraine.
A wonder goal by Milenko Acimovic gave Slovenia a slender 2-1 lead after the first leg in Ljubljana.
They conceded a first-half strike to Andrei Shevchenko only for Zahovic to pull them level and Acimovic to set up a superb second leg in Kiev four days later.
When Sergei Rebrov's penalty put the Ukrainians ahead with little more than 20 minutes to play, victory looked assured for the former Soviet republic on the away goals rule.
But 10 minutes later Mladen Rudonja stunned the home crowd with a shock equaliser and Euro 2000's unlikeliest qualifiers had arrived.