Cyprus national football team

The team's first match took place on 23 July 1949, one year after becoming a member of the world governing body FIFA: a friendly against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Tel Aviv, ending in a 3–3 draw. 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 Greece on 27 November 1963 in a friendly. On 17 February 1968, Cyprus recorded their first competitive win, beating Switzerland 2–1 in a European Championship qualifying match in Old GSP Stadium in Nicosia.

In 1974, the national team enjoyed one of their most famous victories when they beat Northern Ireland 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 Tsirio Stadium in Limassol, followed a month later by the same result against Czechoslovakia. Four years later, in the Euro 1988 qualification, Cyprus recorded their first ever point achieved in an away match, against Poland. In 1989 they drew 1–1 with France in the 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 against 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 UEFA Euro 2000 despite 3–2 victories against both Spain and Israel and a 4–0 win over San Marino.

On 15 November 2000, Cyprus scored their biggest win in history by beating Andorra in Limassol 5–0 in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification. On 7 October 2006, as part of the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Cyprus caused a major upset by beating the Republic of Ireland 5–2 in New GSP Stadium in Nicosia, with Michalis Konstantinou and Constantinos Charalambidis each scoring two goals and Alexandros Garpozis one goal. Just one month later, on 15 November 2006, they caused another surprise by holding the World Cup bronze-medalists Germany to a 1–1 draw at home. On 13 October 2007, they beat Wales 3–1 in Nicosia. On 17 October 2007, Cyprus came close to a historic away victory in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland, but the hosts equalised in the last minute of the game, and the match ended 1–1. On 3 September 2010, as part of the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Cyprus claimed a historic result against Portugal after drawing 4–4 in Guimarães.

During the Euro 2016 qualifying, Cyprus national football team managed by Pambos Christodoulou claimed one of their most historic victories by defeating 2014 World Cup participant Bosnia with 2–1 in Zenica. In the last group match, the team faced Bosnia needing a victory to finish in 3rd and rely on Belgium to beat Israel in Brussels. As fate would have it, the Bosnians won the reverse 3–2 and qualified to play-offs at the expense of the home team, who at one point took a 2–1 lead during first half and for number of minutes held onto 3rd spot and a berth in the play-offs for a first time in history, as Belgium, a soon to be World number 1 side, were comfortably beating Israel at home.[2]

Cyprus would finish behind Estonia and ahead of Gibraltar to place 5th of 6 teams in Group H in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[3] Their qualification run would include an impressive 3-2 home victory over Bosnia.[4]

On 7 October 2006, a new kit was made by Diadora. It outlines a map of Cyprus in amber from the shoulder to the sleeve, with a green line running down the middle to indicate the division of the island. This kit was used for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying, and was replaced by a kit made by Adidas for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. For 2018 Macron will replace Adidas as part of the UEFA's Kit Assistance Scheme programme.

Kit provider	Period
Lotto	0000–2000
Errea	2000–2002
Umbro	2002–2006
Diadora	2006–2008
Adidas	2008–2018
Macron	2018–present

Cyprus currently plays home matches at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia. 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 of Cyprus, 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 but in 2008 a change of sponsorship forced home fixtures for 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification to be played at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium. However, Cyprus returned to the GSP Stadium for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying round matches.

As of 17 November 2020.

As of 13 October 2020.

Opponent	P	W	D	L
Albania	6	2	2	2
Andorra	5	5	0	0
Armenia	6	4	1	1
Austria	7	0	1	6
Azerbaijan	2	0	1	1
Belarus	2	1	0	1
Belgium	13	0	1	12
Bosnia and Herzegovina	4	2	0	2
Bulgaria	14	1	1	12
Canada	2	0	1	1
Croatia	1	0	0	1
Czech Republic	4	0	0	4
Czechoslovakia	6	0	2	4
Denmark	6	0	1	5
England	2	0	0	2
Estonia	8	3	3	2
Faroe Islands	4	3	1	0
Finland	4	1	1	2
France	8	0	1	7
Georgia	6	3	1	2
Germany	6	0	1	5
Gibraltar	2	2	0	0
Greece	26	3	6	17
Hungary	7	1	0	6
Iceland	7	1	3	3
Iran	1	0	1	0
Iraq	1	1	0	0
Israel	15	3	3	9
Italy	8	0	1	7
Japan	1	0	0	1
Jordan	5	1	2	2
Kazakhstan	4	3	1	0
Kuwait	1	0	1	0
Latvia	2	2	0	0
Lebanon	2	1	0	1
Lithuania	3	2	0	1
Luxembourg	4	3	0	1
North Macedonia	2	0	1	1
Malta	6	3	2	1
Moldova	1	1	0	0
Montenegro	4	0	3	1
Netherlands	8	0	0	8
Northern Ireland	6	1	2	3
Norway	11	0	0	11
Poland	7	0	3	4
Portugal	10	0	1	9
Republic of Ireland	10	1	1	8
Romania	13	1	3	9
Russia	5	0	1	4
San Marino	6	6	0	0
Saudi Arabia	1	0	1	0
Scotland	7	0	0	7
Serbia	4	0	1	3
Slovakia	4	1	0	3
Slovenia	10	2	3	5
Soviet Union	4	0	0	4
Spain	8	1	0	7
Sweden	6	0	1	5
Switzerland	8	1	2	5
Syria	1	1	0	0
Ukraine	3	1	1	1
Wales	7	2	0	5
Yugoslavia	4	0	0	4

As of 1 December 2015.[5][6]

Name	Career
Ran Ben Shimon	2017–2020
Christakis Christoforou	2015–2017
Pambos Christodoulou	2014–2015
Nikos Nioplias	2011–2013
Angelos Anastasiadis	2005–2011
Momčilo Vukotić	2001–2004
Takis Charalambous	2001
Stavros Papadopoulos	1999–2001
Panikos Georgiou	1997–1999
Stavros Papadopoulos	1997
Andreas Michaelides	1991–1996
Panikos Iakovou	1988–1991
Takis Charalambous	1987
Panikos Iakovou	1984–1987
Vasil Spasov	1982–1984
Kostas Talianos	1978–1982
Andreas Lazarides	1977
Panikos Krystallis	1976–1977
Kostas Talianos	1976
Pambos Avraamidis	1975
Panikos Iakovou	1974
Pambos Avraamidis	1972–1974
Sima Milovanov	1972
Ray Wood	1970–1971
Pambos Avraamidis	1968–1969
Argyrios Gavalas	1960–1967

As of 17 November 2020[7]

Players in bold are still active, at least at club level.

Notes

Citation

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cyprus national football team.

• Official Site
• RSSSF archive of results 1949–
• RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
• RSSSF archive of coaches 1929–