AEK secures European spot with win over Apollon
On May 6, 2026, AEK Larnaca defeated Apollon Limassol 1-0 at the AEK Arena in the 7th round of the Cyprus First Division playoffs. The winning goal was scored by Riad Bajic in the 11th minute following an assist from Ekpolo. Despite finishing the match with ten men after Ekpolo was sent off in the 84th minute due to a second yellow card, AEK successfully held their lead. With this result, AEK reached 64 points and mathematically secured their qualification for next season's UEFA Conference League. Apollon manager Hernan Losada implemented a significant squad rotation, citing the physical toll of consecutive mid-week matches, but stated he was satisfied with the team's performance. Other playoff results on the same day included Omonia winning 2-0 against Pafos FC and Aris beating APOEL 1-0. Following these matches, the 8th round of playoffs is scheduled for May 10, featuring Apollon versus APOEL, Omonia against AEK, and Pafos FC playing Aris.