In their opening match, our national team defeated San Marino 2-0 at AEK Arena, though several clear chances were missed for a larger scoreline. Our players dominated the game from start to finish.

The match was part of Group 8 of the European Zone and marked the first official game for our national team under coach Apostolos Mantzios.

In the first half, our team maintained full control, pressed the opponent, and created scoring opportunities, with the highlight being Tzionis hitting the post in just the 3rd minute. However, they were unable to take the lead.

With the same determination, our players started the second half in search of an early goal. The first dangerous attempt came when Pittas’ corner shot was saved by the San Marino goalkeeper.

In the 54th minute, Pittas applied pressure on San Marino's defense, stole the ball from Cevoli, and fired a shot inside the penalty area to open the scoring—1-0 for Cyprus.

Our national team continued their attacking efforts, and in the 66th minute, Kakoullis’ header struck Colombo’s right post. A series of major chances followed with Pittas, Loizou, Malekkidis, and Kastanos all coming close to doubling the lead.

Finally, in the 86th minute, after a quick attacking move, Kosti provided the assist for Andronikos Kakoullis, who found the target and secured a two-goal advantage for our team.

The match ended 2-0, giving our national team an important victory that sets a solid foundation for the rest of the campaign.

Cyprus: Mall, Shelis, Panayiotou, Correia (73’ Malekkidis), Kastanos, Kousoulos (73’ Kyriakou), Satsias, Tzionis (63’ Costi), Loizou (88’ Gavriel), Pieros (63’ Kakoullis), Pittas.