Cyprus national football team

Cyprus
Nickname -
Association Cyprus Football Association
Head coach Angelos Anastasiadis (2004-)
Most caps Pambos Pittas (82)
Top scorer Michalis Konstantinou (24)
FIFA code CYP
FIFA ranking 73
Highest FIFA ranking 58 (February 1999)
Lowest FIFA ranking 113 (March 2005)
Elo ranking 92
Highest Elo ranking 68 (2000)
First international
Cyprus 1 - 1 Israel
(Nicosia, Cyprus; November 13, 1960)
Largest win
Cyprus 5 - 0 Andorra
(Limassol, Cyprus; November 15, 2000)
Worst defeat
West Germany 12 - 0 Cyprus
(Essen, Germany; May 21, 1969)

The Cyprus national football team is the national football team of Cyprus and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association. It is one of the weakest members of UEFA, having never made the finals of any major international tournament.

History

In their first international friendly, the Cyprus national team tied 3-3 with Israel in Tel Aviv on 23 July 1949, a year after becoming a member of the world governing body FIFA. In November 1960, following independence from British rule, Cyprus took part in their first official game, a 1-1 draw against Israel in the first leg of a qualifying tie for the 1962 FIFA World Cup. The return leg ended in a 6-1 defeat.

UEFA membership followed in 1962, and the next year was even more momentous as Cyprus won their first international - beating Greece 3-1 on 27 November in a friendly, and that was followed by another victory against Lebanon 2 years later when Cyprus won that particular encounter 2-0 in a friendly.

On the 17th February 1968, however, Cyprus made history when the Cypriots defeated Switzerland 2-1 in a European Championship Qualifier in Nicosia to mark the island s first ever official victory.

In 1974, the national team enjoyed one of their most famous victories when a team of part-timers beat a Northern Ireland side featuring legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings, 1-0 in Nicosia. Cyprus managed in 1989 to bring a 1-1 draw against France to knock the French out of the World Cup chase. Despite other similar triumphs on home soil, Cyprus had to wait until 1992 to record a first away win - 2-0 in the Faroe Islands.

Results in qualifying tournaments have also improved considerably in recent times. Cyprus drew 1-1 with holders Denmark and claimed seven points in their qualification campaign for 1996 European Football Championship. Four years later, they missed out on a place at 2000 European Football Championship by a solitary point after victories against Spain and Israel, 3-2. The Spain's defeat signalled the end of Javier Clemente's time as Spanish coach and made the world do a double-take.

Home Stadium

Cyprus plays their home matches at New GSP Stadium, in Nicosia. The Cyprus team played its home matches at different venues all around the country; Until 1974, Cyprus used for home venue, the Old GSP Stadium in Nicosia, while sometimes the stadiums in Famagusta were used rarely. Since then played their home matches on different venues, while in 1990s, more usually was used the stadium in Limassol. That changed in 1999, with the creation of the New GSP Stadium in Nicosia. For World Cup 2006 qualifications, Cyprus used only the GSP Stadium, because it is the only stadium in Cyprus which satisfies the UEFA criteria. Sometimes plays in other towns of Cyprus but only for friendlies.

World Cup record

  • 1930 to 1954 - Did not enter
  • 1958 - Withdrew
  • 1962 to 2006 - Did not qualify

European Championship record

  • 1960 - Did not enter
  • 1964 - Did not enter
  • 1968 to 2004 - Did not qualify

Managers

  • Argyrios Gavalas 1960-1967
  • Pambos Avraamidis 1968-1969
  • Rey Wood 1970-1971
  • Sima Milovanov 1972
  • Pambos Avraamidis 1972-1974
  • Panikos Iakovou 1974
  • Pambos Avraamidis 1975
  • Kostas Talianos 1976
  • Panikos Krystalis 1976-1977
  • Andreas Lazaridis 1977
  • Kostas Talianos 1978-1982
  • Bazile Spasov 1982-1984
  • Panikos Iakovou 1984-1987
  • Takis Charalambous 1987
  • Panikos Ioakovou 1988-1991
  • Andreas Michailidis 1991-1996
  • Stavros Papadopoulos 1997
  • Panikos Georgiou 1997-1999
  • Stavros Papadopoulos 1999-2001
  • Takis Charalambous 2001
  • Moca Vukotic 2001-2004
  • Aggelos Anastasiadis 2004-

Noted Players

  • Sotiris Kaiafas
  • Michalis Konstantinou
  • Ioannis Okkas

Cyprus Squad

Goalkeepers

Name Club
Michalis Morfis APOEL FC
Antonis Georgallides AC Omonia

Defenders

Name Club
Loukas Louka Anorthosis Famagusta
Lambros Lambrou Anorthosis Famagusta
Stelios Okkarides APOEL FC
Antreas Konstantinou AEK Larnaca FC
Demetris Daskalakis APOEL FC
Marios Ilia APOEL FC
Alexis Garpozis Skoda Xanthi
Elias Charalambous PAOK FC

Midfielders

Name Club
Constantinos Charalmbides PAOK FC
Marinos Satsias APOEL FC
Costas Kaiafas AC Omonia
Lefteris Eleftheriou Enosis Neon Paralimni
Charis Nikolaou AEK Larnaca FC
Simos Krassas Apollon Kalamarias
Constantinos Makrides APOEL FC

Strikers

Name Club
Michalis Konstantinou Olympiacos
Giannis Okkas Olympiacos
Giasemakis Giasemi PAOK FC
Efstathios Aloneftis AEL 1964
Giorgos Nikolaou Olympiakos Nicosia

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
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