Cyprus national football team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Association | Cyprus Football Association | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach |  Angelos Anastasiadis (2004-) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Ioannis Okkas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most caps | Ioannis Okkas (86) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top scorer | Michalis Konstantinou (25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home stadium | Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA code | CYP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA ranking | 107 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest FIFA ranking | 57 (October 2007) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest FIFA ranking | 113 (March 2005) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elo ranking | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Elo ranking | 64 (July 1949) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest Elo ranking | 141 (March 1992) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Israel 3 - 1 Cyprus  (Tel-Aviv, Israel; July 30, 1949) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Cyprus 5 - 0 Andorra  (Limassol, Cyprus; November 15, 2000) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 West Germany 12 - 0 Cyprus (Essen, Germany; May 21, 1969) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Cyprus national football team is the national football team of the island of Cyprus and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association. They have never reached the finals of either the European Championships or the World Cup.
Contents |
[edit] History
Their first match was a friendly on 23 July 1949, against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Tel Aviv which ended in a 3-3 draw, one year after becoming a member of the world governing body FIFA. Seven days later the team had its first international game, a 3-1 defeat against Israel in the same city. In November 1960, following independence from British rule, Cyprus drew its first post-independence official match 1-1 against Israel, as part of the 1962 FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament.
Cyprus' first international victory was a 3-1 win against beating Greece on 27 November in a friendly. On 17 February 1968 Cyprus recorded their first competitive win, beating Switzerland 2-1 in a European Championship qualifying match in Nicosia.
In 1974, the national team enjoyed one of their most famous victories when they beat a Northern Ireland side 1-0 in Nicosia. On 12 February 1983, as part of the Euro 1984 qualifiers, Cyprus held world champions Italy to a 1-1 draw in Nicosia, followed a month later by the same result against Czechoslovakia. In 1989 they drew 1-1 with France in World Cup qualifying match. Despite a number of triumphs on home soil, Cyprus had to wait until 1992 to record their first away win, a 2-0 victory in the Faroe Islands.
Results in qualifying tournaments have also improved considerably in recent times. In the qualifying stages for the 1996 UEFA European Championship, Cyprus drew 1-1 with holders Denmark. Four years later, they missed out on a place in the 2000 European Football Championship by a solitary point, 3-2 victories against Spain and Israel and a 4-0 defeat of San Marino contributing to the team finishing on 12 points, just one point behind Israel who qualified for the Euro 2000 play-offs.
On 15 November 2000 Cyprus scored their biggest win in history by beating Andorra in Limassol 5-0 for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.
On 7 October 2006, as part of the Euro 2008 qualifiers Cyprus caused a major upset by beating Republic of Ireland 5-2 at home with Michalis Konstantinou and Constantinos Charalambides each scoring two goals and Alexandros Garpozis one goal. On 15 November 2006, they caused another surprise by holding the World Cup semi-finalists Germany to a 1-1 draw at home. On 13 October 2007, they won over Wales 3-1 in Nicosia. Also on 17 October 2007 Cyprus came close to a historic away victory in Dublin against Republic of Ireland, but equalised on the last minute of the game, and the match ended 1-1.
[edit] Kit
On 7 October 2006 the Cypriot squad debuted their new Diadora kit. The new white kit displays part of the map of Cyprus in amber from the shoulder to the sleeve with a green line running down the middle indicating the division of the island. This kit used for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying.
For the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification the national team of Cyprus will use their new Adidas kits.
[edit] Home stadium
Cyprus currently plays home matches at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca. Home matches had previously been staged at different stadiums all around the country. Until 1974 Cyprus used either the old GSP Stadium in central Nicosia, or the GSE stadium in Famagusta. After the Turkish invasion, some matches were played at Tsirion Stadium in Limassol and the Makario Stadium in Nicosia. In 1999, the building of the New GSP Stadium in Nicosia provided a new home for the national team however in 2008 a change of sponsorship forced home fixtures for FIFA 2010 qualification to be played at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium.
[edit] Total Results and Records
Last Update: September 07, 2008
| Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup qualification | 85 | 9 | 7 | 69 | 61 | 252 |
| European Championship qualification | 86 | 12 | 12 | 62 | 60 | 231 |
| Friendly Matches | 97 | 30 | 26 | 41 | 113 | 140 |
| TOTAL | 268 | 51 | 45 | 172 | 234 | 623 |
[edit] FIFA World Cup Record
[edit] European Championship Record
[edit] 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
|
|
[edit] World Cup Qualification Matches
All times for FIFA World Cup qualification at CET
| 2008-09-06 20:45 |
Cyprus |
1 – 2 |  Italy |
Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca Attendance: 8,000 Referee:  Pieter Vink |
Aloneftis  29' |
(Report) | Di Natale 8' , 90+2' |
| 2008-10-11 18:30 |
 Georgia |
1 – 1 | Cyprus |
Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 20,000 Referee:  Radek Matejek |
| Kobiashvili 73' |
(Report) | Konstantinou 66' |
| 2008-10-15 20:45 |
 Republic of Ireland |
1 – 0 | Cyprus |
Croke Park, Dublin Attendance: 53,500 Referee:  Alexandru Dan Tudor |
| Keane 4' |
(Report) |
[edit] UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
Key:
- Teams highlighted in green are certain of qualification.
- Teams highlighted in red are unable to qualify.
|
|
[edit] Memorable matches
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
[edit] Past Managers
| Name | Career |
|---|---|
| Angelos Anastasiadis |
2004 - current |
 Momčilo Vukotić |
2001 - 2004 |
| Stavros Papadopoulos |
1999 - 2001 |
| Panikos Georgiou |
1997 - 1999 |
| Andreas Michailidis |
1991 - 1997 |
| Panikos Ioakovou |
1984 - 1991 |
 Bazile Spasov |
1982 - 1984 |
| Kostas Talianos |
1977 - 1982 |
| Panikos Krystalis |
1976 - 1977 |
| Pambos Avraamidis |
1972 - 1976 |
 Ray Wood |
1970 - 1972 |
| Pambos Avraamidis |
1968 - 1970 |
| Argyrios Gavalas |
1960 - 1968 |
 Gyula Zsengellér |
1958 - 1959 |
[edit] Player records
As of September 07, 2008
[edit] Most capped Cyprus players
| # | Name | Debut | Caps | Goals | Active? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ioannis Okkas | 1997 | 86 | 21 | Yes |
| 2 | Pambos Pittas | 1987 | 82 | 7 | No |
| 3 | Nicos Panayiotou | 1994 | 75 | 0 | No |
| 4 | Giorgos Theodotou | 1996 | 70 | 0 | Yes |
| 5 | Giannis Yiangoudakis | 1982 | 66 | 1 | No |
[edit] Top Cyprus goalscorers
| # | Player | Debut | Caps | Goals | Active? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michalis Konstantinou | 1997 | 63 | 25 | Yes |
| 2 | Ioannis Okkas | 1997 | 86 | 21 | Yes |
| 3 | Marios Agathokleous | 1994 | 38 | 10 | Yes |
| 4 | Milenko Spoljaric | 1997 | 21 | 8 | No |
| 5 | Siniša Gogić | 1994 | 37 | 8 | No |
See here for top goal scorers per country.
[edit] Squad
Caps and goals as of 07 September 2008, included match against Italy.
The following players named for the FIFA World Cup qualification match against Italy on September 06, 2008.
[edit] Goalkeepers
|
[edit] Defenders
|
[edit] Midfielders
|