Cyprus national football team

Cyprus national football team
Name	Cyprus
FIFA Trigramme	CYP
FIFA Rank	124
FIFA max	43
FIFA max date	September 2010
FIFA min	142
FIFA min date	March–May 2014
Association	Cyprus Football Association
Confederation	UEFA
Coach	Temur Ketsbaia
Captain	Kostas Laifis
Most caps	Ioannis Okkas (106)
Top scorer	Michalis Konstantinou (32)
Home Stadium	AEK Arena – Georgios Karapatakis
Pattern la	_cyp22h
Pattern b	_cyp22h
Pattern ra	_cyp22h
Leftarm	FFFFFF
Body	FFFFFF
Rightarm	FFFFFF
Shorts	0000FF
Socks	FFFFFF
First game	ISR 3–1 Cyprus, (Tel Aviv, Israel; 23 July 1949)
Largest win	Cyprus 5–0 AND, (Larnaca, Cyprus; 15 November 2000)
Largest loss	FRG 12–0 Cyprus, (Essen, West Germany; 21 May 1969)

Cyprus national football team. The team is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for the sport on the island, and has been a member of both FIFA and UEFA since 1948. Historically considered one of Europe's traditional minnows, the team has shown significant improvement since the early 21st century, recording notable victories against established football nations. They compete in the UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup qualifying tournaments, playing their home matches primarily at the AEK Arena – Georgios Karapatakis in Larnaca.

History

The national team played its first official match in 1949 against Israel. For decades, Cyprus struggled immensely in international competition, enduring heavy defeats such as a 12–0 loss to West Germany in 1969. A significant turning point came in the 1990s under managers like Andreas Michaelides and Stavros Papadopoulos, with the team earning its first-ever competitive victory against the Faroe Islands in 1992. The appointment of Angelos Anastasiadis in 2004 heralded a new era, culminating in famous wins over Ireland and a draw with Germany during 2008 European Championship qualifying. Subsequent coaches like Nikos Nioplias and Pambos Christodoulou built on this progress, with the team achieving its highest FIFA World Rankings position of 43rd in 2010. Recent managerial tenures have included Ran Ben Shimon, Costas Charalambous, and the current coach, former Georgian international Temur Ketsbaia.

Team image

The traditional home kit features white shirts with blue trim, blue shorts, and white socks, reflecting the colors of the national flag. The away kit has often been blue or a contrasting dark color. The team's crest features the Coat of arms of Cyprus surrounded by a football. Their primary home stadium has shifted over the years from the old GSP Stadium in Nicosia to the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca and now to the modern AEK Arena – Georgios Karapatakis. The team's support, while not vast, is passionate, with organized fan groups like the Fan Club Cyprus providing vocal backing during matches.

Results and fixtures

Cyprus's schedule is dominated by UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA matches. Recent campaigns have seen mixed results, including competitive draws with teams like Scotland and Norway, but also heavy losses to top seeds like Belgium and Spain. Notable recent friendly matches have been arranged against fellow mid-tier European nations such as the Serbia and Romania to prepare for competitive fixtures. All upcoming match details are listed on the official website of the Cyprus Football Association.

Players

The current squad is a mix of experienced domestic-based players and those featuring in leagues abroad, particularly in Greece, Belgium, and England. Key veterans include captain and defender Kostas Laifis, who plays for Standard Liège, and midfielder Fotis Ioannou. The nation's all-time appearance leader is striker Ioannis Okkas, who had spells at Olympiacos and Celta Vigo, while the top goalscorer is Michalis Konstantinou, known for his time at Panathinaikos. The current generation features promising talents like midfielder Grigoris Kastanos of Salernitana and forward Loizos Loizou.

Honours

The Cyprus national team has not qualified for a major tournament final stage. Their greatest achievements remain notable victories in qualification groups, such as defeating the Republic of Ireland in 2006 and 2023, and securing a historic 1–1 draw with Germany in 2007. The team won the unofficial 1991 Mediterranean Games football tournament, defeating the Italy U21 team in the final. They have also occasionally performed well in regional competitions like the now-defunct Cyprus International Tournament.

See also

* Cyprus Football Association * Cyprus national under-21 football team * Cyprus women's national football team * Cyprus football league system * List of Cyprus international footballers

References

Category:National sports teams of Cyprus Category:National association football teams Category:UEFA national association football teams