Cyprus Military team qualifies for World Championship while National team loses friendly

The Cyprus Military National Team secured a spot in the 2027 World Military Championship in the United States by defeating Germany 2-1 in a qualifying match held in the Netherlands. Goals for Cyprus were scored by Petros Ioannou in the 19th minute and Panagiotis Gordon Charalambous in the 74th minute. During the qualifying phase, the team recorded victories against the Netherlands (4-2) and Luxembourg (3-0), alongside a defeat by France (4-0). Meanwhile, the Cyprus Men's National Football Team suffered a 0-1 defeat against Belarus in a friendly match at GSP Stadium, with Tsikamirau scoring the decisive goal in the 24th minute. Coach Apostolos Mantzios utilized the friendly to experiment with the roster, providing debut appearances for young players including Panagiotis Andreou, Angelos Neofytou, and Stavros Georgiou. Despite a better performance in the second half, featuring a free kick by Kastanos that hit the crossbar, the national team failed to score. The team is now preparing for their next friendly match against Moldova scheduled for March 30th at GSP Stadium.