Daejeon, South Korea ? For a team that had never even won a World Cup game, South Korea sure is looking like a championship contender.

The tournament’s co-host pulled off a stunning 2-1 victory of Italy on Tuesday, getting the tying goal with two minutes left in regulation and the game-winner in overtime.

South Korea's Ahn Jung Hwan celebrates the winning goal in a surprising 2-1 victory against Italy at the Daejeon World Cup stadium in Daejeon, South Korea, Tuesday. South Korea's win put it in the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time.

Ahn Jung-hwan, who missed a penalty shot in the first half, scored 27 minutes into the extra period on a header off a long pass, just the latest surprise at a World Cup full of them.

The victory in front of 40,000 roaring, chanting fans puts the South Koreans in the quarterfinals against Spain, and sends two-time champ Italy home.

South Korea, undefeated in the first round, was winless in five previous trips to soccer’s biggest event.

The South Koreans matched the feat of North Korea, which became the first Asian team to advance to the quarterfinals when it shocked Italy 1-0 in 1966.

“We made it to the last eight because of the big support from the fans,” defender Kim Tae-young said. “We will catch Spain in the quarterfinals. Please trust us.”

Seol Ki-hyeon sent the match into overtime and the red-clad fans into delirium with his goal in the 88th minute. He pounced on a deflection from Italian defender Christian Panucci and banged in a left-footed equalizer from close range.

“I haven’t scored in the previous games, but I believed in myself,” Seol said. “I knew that I would be to score at a crucial moment. Today was that day.”

The Italians were reduced to 10 men 13 minutes into overtime when forward Francesco Totti was given a questionable yellow card for what Ecuadorean referee Byron Moreno believed was a dive in the penalty box. Totti was ejected because it was his second yellow card of the game.

On the winning goal, Ahn out-jumped Italian captain Paolo Maldini to meet a floating pass into the area from Lee Young-pyo and headed the ball past goalie Gianluigi Buffon.

“This is football, but if one of the teams should have advanced to the quarterfinals it should have been Italy,” coach Giovanni Trapattoni said.

“We had more goal chances. Korea played with their hearts.”