CYPRUS COLLAPSE AT THE END IN LOSS TO ESTONIA

2025 did not end well for the Cypriot national team. What should have been a win and was on its way to being a win crashed on final approach, and three unanswered goals in the last 15 minutes have Cyprus on the wrong end of a 4-2 loss in a friendly at home to Estonia. Evangelos Andreou and Andronikos Kakoullis scored for Cyprus, but to use a hockey term, a late natural hat trick for Rauno Sappinen up-ended Cyprus.

This was Cyprus’s last game of 2025, a friendly in lieu of a qualifier as the rest of Europe closed out the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Cyprus finished fourth out of five teams in Group H and failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. In now 12 meetings with Estonia, this was Cyprus’s third loss, Cyprus have beaten them five times, the other four meetings were draws.

Final Group H Standings: Austria-19, Bosnia-Herzegovina-17, Romania-13, Cyprus-8, San Marino-0

Cyprus hosted Estonia at Alphamega Stadium in Limassol in an international friendly originally scheduled to be played in Larnaca. Cyprus got off to a strong start, Kostas Pileas missed the net, and then not long after forced Karl Jakob Hein to a save. And then from a corner, the ball came to Andronikos Kakoullis, but his attempt was blocked in front by Martin Vetkal.

Cyprus struck first, as Maarten Kuusk made an ill-advised pass that was picked off by Evangelos Andreou, who uncorked a perfect strike from outside the box, into the top corner past Hein, and it was 1-0 for Cyprus in the 16th minute.

Cyprus continued to press, Kakoullis was once again turned aside by Hein, and then off a corner he headed one just wide. Estonia finally created a chance on a free kick which came to Kevor Palumets, but Joel Mall was alert and made the save.

Against the run of play, however, Estonia drew level. An Estonian corner came off a pair of heads in the box, and found its way past Mall. The goal was announced for Erko Jonne Tougjas, and it was 1-1 just before halftime, and Mall had to make another save on Vetkal to keep it that way. At halftime, the goal was changed to an own goal charged to Hector Kyprianou, as it last touched his head after that of Tougjas.

Early in the second half, Cyprus pulled back ahead, again from an errant pass, this time it was Kakoullis pouncing onto the ball, he kept his cool and placed the ball past Hein to restore Cyprus’s advantage to 2-1, three minutes into the second half.

Estonia tried to respond, first Marten-Chris Paalberg had a go, but missed the target, and then Mall denied Rasmus Peetson to keep Cyprus ahead. Then Markus Poom put one just wide of the net.

Estonia eventually found what they were looking for, on an Estonian counter attack, Poom found Patrik Kristal, who eventually set up Rauno Sappinen past a helpless Mall, and in the 78th minute, it was 2-2.

From there, the wheels came off for Cyprus, just five minutes later on an Estonian corner, Palumets got to the ball first and put it on net, it deflected, Sappinen got credit for getting the last touch, and Estonia pulled ahead at 3-2.

Sappinen poured salt into the open would and completed the hat trick. Alex Tamm carried the ball, eventually laying off for Michael Schjonning-Larsen who crossed in for Sappinen, who put it between Mall’s legs, 4-2 for the final score.

Cyprus(Apostolos Mantzios): 1. Joel Mall(GK), 6. Giannis Satsias(’88 19. Antonio Foti), 16. Stelios Andreou, 3. Nikolas Panayiotou, 2. Kostas Pileas, 23. Chambos Kyriakou(Captain)(’67 18. Petros Ioannou), 4. Hector Kyprianou(’46 8. Ioannis Kousoulos), 13. Ioannis Kosti(’67 5. Charalambos Charalambous), 14. Evangelos Andreou(’88 25. Giorgos Angelopoulos), 11. Andronikos Kakoullis(’74 24. Nikolas Koutsakos), 9. Ioannis Pittas

Estonia(Jurgen Henn): 1. Karl Jakob Hein(GK, Captain), 19. Michael Schjonning-Larsen, 26. Erko Jonne Tougjas, 2. Maarten Kuusk(’80 18. Karol Mets), 6. Rasmus Peetson, 10. Kevor Palumets, 24. Martin Petkal(’72 20. Markus Poom), 23. Vlasiy Sinyavskiy(’61 15. Rauno Sappinen), 5. Rocco Robert Shein(’61 14. Patrik Kristal), 7. Robi Saarma(’80 9. Ioan Yakovlev), 16. Marten-Chris Paalberg(’61 21. Alex Tamm)

Andrew Mantzas

Twitter: @MantzasNC