U-20 Fifa World Cup: Stunning Serbs rocking homeland and world

From left Srdan Babic of Serbia, David Forgacs of Hungary and Milan Gajic of Serbia in action during the U-20 football match. File photo / NZME.

Serbia is making waves at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup - and causing a sensation back home.

Novak Djokovic has passed on his support. Fellow tennis player Ana Ivanovic is said to be following the team. And Chelsea star Nemanja Matic provided words for their team talk before the dramatic quarter-final win over USA last Sunday.

The European team, who will face Mali in the U-20 World Cup semifinal in Auckland tonight, have already created history in New Zealand, although they want a lot more.

"This is really historical for our country," said coach Veljko Paunovic. "You have to understand that Serbia has been an independent country for only a decade. The fans have had lot of disappointments from our senior teams in the past. Now they are looking at us as the generation that will give them what they were expecting for many, many years."

This is Serbia's first appearance at an Under-20 World Cup. As part of the former Yugoslavia they qualified just twice, in 1979 and 1987.

"It has been crazy in Serbia, they said they were celebrated like it was New Year's Eve when we won the other day," said Paunovic. "As we are growing in the tournament, so support is growing, too."

World No1 Djokovic has sent messages while the coach used Matic's words of wisdom before their quarter final victory over USA.

"He told us to play with a cold brain and a warm heart," recalled Paunovic. "It was advice from a champion."

Serbia have also become popular with their willingness to engage with the community, proving a hit during their extended stay in Dunedin.

"We went to see the penguins," said Paunovic. "We went on city tours, to bars and shops, mixed with the people. We want to feel like we are at home ... if you feel like you are at home, you will perform better."

They also attracted a large -- and extremely vocal group of supporters for the clash with the USA -- based around the local Serbia United club. They will need similar support today, against a Mali team that has tipped over two favoured teams (Ghana and Germany) in succession. Serbia beat the Africans 2-0 in pool play but that seems an age ago.

"You only need to look at what they've done to Germany to see what they're capable of," said Spurs and Serbian defender Milos Veljkovic of Mali.

?Mali striker Saliou Guindo believes it's his team's duty to win the cup for his country.

Few can quite believe how far Mali have progressed in the tournament, especially as they qualified for the tournament only after scoring two late goals in their final African qualifier to sneak through, and their 4-3 penalty shootout win over Germany in the quarter-finals sent shockwaves throughout world football.

Only the Serbians stand between Mali and the final and the potential still remains for an all-African final with Senegal taking on Brazil in the other semifinal in Christchurch.

"It's our dream to win this competition," Guindo said.

U-20s semifinals

• Brazil v Senegal
Christchurch, 4pm

• Serbia v Mali
North Harbour Stadium, 7.30pm.