CYPRUS WIN MANTZIOS DEBUT OVER SAN MARINO

Cyprus opened their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign the way they wanted to, with a win. Their first match under Apostolos Mantzios is a 2-0 win at home to San Marino in Larnaca. Aside from a few minor scares, Cyprus were well in control of the match from start to finish, and if not for a valiant performance from Edoardo Colombo in the San Marino goal, Cyprus would have won by a lot more.

Finally, in the second half, Ioannis Pittas and Andronikos Kakoullis got Cyprus what they needed. Three points for Cyprus, who will next be away to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday. Cyprus have now beaten San Marino all eight times they’ve faced them.

Cyprus hosted San Marino at the Giorgos Karapatakis AEK Arena in Larnaca in their first 2026 World Cup qualifier. It was San Marino who had the first chance, as Nicola Nanni played a through ball for Samuele Zannoni, but Joel Mall read it well and made the save. At the other end, Marinos Tzionis had a promising chance, but he hit the outside of the post.

Ioannis Pittas found himself alone at point blank range and fired off a shot that seemed to be headed for the top corner, but Edoardo Colombo at full extension made a stunning save. On the ensuing corner, Colombo was able to stop a Christos Shelis header.

Then it seemed as though Cyprus finally broke through, as Pieros Sotiriou placed a header past Colombo, but VAR called the goal back on an offside call. Then a bad turnover set itself up for Andrea Contadini, but Mall was alert enough to make the save. Anderson Correia set up Loizos Loizou who let fly from outside the box, but it sailed over the crossbar. For all Cyprus’s domination, they had nothing to show for it, and there was no score at halftime.

Cyprus picked up where they left off to begin the second half. Giannis Satsias centered it for Grigoris Kastanos, who made a nifty pass to Pittas, who again put a nice strike on goal, but once again, Colombo came out on top and denied him.

Persistence finally paid off in the 55th minute, Michele Cevoli was careless with the ball, hung onto it too long, and Pittas made him pay, stealing the ball and he had all day to pick his spot. Colombo got a piece of it, but this time, Pittas finally found the back of the net, and Cyprus finally had their lead.

Cyprus continued to push, Andronikos Kakoullis came on and found an oncoming Nikolas Panayiotou, his now former Omonoia teammate, and Panayiotou forced Colombo to a save. Satsias found Pittas in space for a header, but Colombo got down, made the save, and did well to not give up a rebound. Loizou was able to fend off pressure from Alessandro Tosi and had only Colombo to beat, but the Sammarinese keeper sprawled out to make yet another fantastic save.

Cyprus needed to be reminded the job wasn’t done, as Nicolas Giacopetti buzzed the crossbar, prompting Mall to yell at his defenders. Kastanos snuck a bullet through a maze of bodies, but yet again Colombo was ready for it.

Cyprus finally got their insurance marker on a counter attack following a San Marino corner, Ioannis Kosti in his first action for Cyprus since 2020, spotted Kakoullis going to the net, and Kakoullis braved contact from Tosi, and got just the touch he needed to steer it past Colombo, and Cyprus were up 2-0 in the 86th minute, and they never looked back, that was the final score.

CYPRUS(Apostolos Mantzios): 1. Joel Mall(GK), 6. Giannis Satsias, 15. Christos Shelis, 3. Nikolas Panayiotou, 7. Anderson Correia(’73 14. Giorgos Malekkidis), 17. Loizos Loizou(’89 12. Stavros Gavriil), 8. Ioannis Kousoulos(’73 2. Chambos Kyriakou), 20. Grigoris Kastanos(Captain), 21. Marinos Tzionis(’63 23. Ioannis Kosti), 9. Ioannis Pittas, 10. Pieros Sotiriou(’63 11. Andronikos Kakoullis)

SAN MARINO(Roberto Cevoli): 1. Edoardo Colombo(GK), 12. Alessandro Tosi, 3. Tommaso Benvenuti, 5. Michele Cevoli, 4. Filippo Fabbri(’85 2. Giacomo Benvenuti), 18. Samuele Zannoni(’77 19. Nicolas Giacopetti), 8. Lorenzo Capicchioni(’63 23. Matteo Valli Casadei), 17. Alessandro Golinucci(Captain), 10. Filippo Berardi(’63 20. Nicko Sensoli), 11. Andrea Contadini, 9. Nicola Nanni

Andrew Mantzas

Twitter: @MantzasNC