Cyprus-Forum.com

[ARMENIAN CYPRIOT]

Are lads will be playing away vs Germany on Nov 17th. I like are odds in getting a positive result in this match since Germany will not be using most of there starters.

My prediction is 1-1 , yet im hoping for a 1-2 victory from are team.

[Sotos]

Germany passed already but isn't there any incentive for the 1st position in the group? I don't think all their stars will play but I don't think they will not care to win the game!

[DT.]

no incentive for 1st place. I like our odds....Aloneftis will be back and so should konstantinou. No absences due to yellow cards so fingers crossed we'll have a full roster.

2-3

[saravakos]

the Germans wont wanna lose especially after losing 3-0 to the Czechs. I say 3-1 to the krauts

[KONSTANTINOU]

This will be a tough match..The Germans should have a relatively full squad as they dont want to lose at home again...Cyprus will be at full strength with konstantinou and Aloneftis back in the squad if they play the way they can I think we can do some damage there..I predict we score at least a goal maybe 2!! Ate Kypros we need a good result for our upcoming World Cup draw!!!!!

[Sotos]

Ate Kypros we need a good result for our upcoming World Cup draw!!!!!

Can you give us some more details about that? Do you think we will have chances to pass in the World Cup

[Patto]

The draw will be made on the 25th November in South Africa. Basically the higher up the group Cyprus finish the better chance we should have as we will get a better seeding in the group draw. This should mean we will avoid a few more difficult games!

[Sotos]

I see. But getting in the world cup should be more difficult than Euro right? I mean I guess less countries from Europe will play in world cup than in Euro. But I am not sure about this maybe I am wrong?

[Get Real!]

Get real the lot of you! Germany 1 - 4 Cyprus

[originalsmiler]

Check out the latest news on the crucial match.

Source: http://www.lgr.co.uk

Cyprus coach Angelos Anastasiadis has welcomed back striker Michalis Konstantinou as the islanders aim to secure third place in Euro 2008 Group D.

Germany v Cyprus - 17 November 19:00 - AWD Arena, Hannover

Cyprus have broken all records in their Euro 2008 qualifying after netting a total tally of 14 points.

Angelos Anastasiadis's side have risen eleven places to 57th in the latest FIFA World Ranking.

The 29-year-old Michalis Konstantinos was not in the squad for Cyprus's impressive 3-1 defeat of Wales followed by their 1-1 draw in the Republic of Ireland last month due to injury but Konstantinou is back for the trip to Germany on 17 November and visit of the Czech Republic four days later.

Both their opponents have already qualified, giving Cyprus hope of overturning a two-point deficit to Ireland, who only have one game left in Wales. Speedy attacker Estathios Aloneftis is also back from the suspension which ruled him out in Dublin.

Coach urges further progress
Angelos Anastasiadis is still reeling from missed opportunities - despite his side breaking all records in terms of qualification achievements.

Republic of Ireland draw
The 1-1 draw away to the Republic of Ireland kept Cyprus in contention for third spot in the Euro 2008 qualifying Group D with Anastasiadis' side sitting on 14 points, two behind the Irish with one game in hand but one ahead of Slovakia and Wales.

Cyprus, who have never finished a qualifying campaign above the bottom two, caused their first upset by inflicting a 5-2 defeat on the Republic of Ireland before holding Germany to a 1-1 draw in their first two home games. In the last two months, two wins against San Marino were followed by a 3-1 victory over Wales and the draw in Dublin. Their 17 goals to date have beaten their previous best by six strikes, while their points tally is already two better than their record Euro 2008 qualifying total.

"I am pleased but feel we should have had more points and much better results," the Greek coach, whose appointment in 2004 infuriated the country's own coaches, told uefa.com. "In the games away to the Czech Republic and Republic of Ireland everyone agreed that we should have come away with so much more than we did. Had we had got the right points in those games, who knows where we would be now."

Anastasiadis knew that he had players to carve out a winning side in the form of Michalis Konstantinou, Yiannis Okkas and Efstathios Aloneftis. "I knew a lot of the Cypriot players because many of them were playing in Greece," he said. "Those players had quality so I felt that there was room to improve the team as a whole."

His main aim was stamping out the pessimistic thoughts which had burdened the side for so many years.

"One of the biggest things that needed changing was the mentality of the players," he said. "The second aim was to unite the team because games cannot be won by individual play. Although talent and quality is needed, 99 per cent of success comes from playing as a unit."

Confidence instilled
Their inability to get results away from home has also been addressed. "We need to play well and not travel abroad with the mentality of 'let's hope for the best or not concede too many'. The players should look their opponents in the eyes and match them as we did against the Czech Republic and Ireland."

Cyprus squad
Goalkeepers: Antonis Giorgallides (AC Omonia), Sofronis Avgoustis (AEK Larnaca FC), Michalis Morfis (APOEL FC).

Defenders: Lambros Lambrou (Anorthosis Famagusta FC), Paraskevas Christou (AEK Larnaca FC), Stelios Okkarides (Apollon Limassol FC), Christis Theofilou (Apollon Limassol FC), Georgios Theodotou (AC Omonia), Alexandros Garpozis(Apollon Limassol FC), Marios P. Nicolaou (Panionios GSS), Elias Charalambous (PAOK FC).

Midfielders: Chrysostomos Michael (APOEL FC), Konstantinos Makrides (APOEL FC), Marinos Satsias (APOEL FC), Christos Marangos (Apollon Limassol FC), Konstantinos Charalampidis (FC Carl Zeiss Jena).

Forwards: Yiasoumis Yiasoumi (Aris Limassol FC), Michalis Konstantinou (Olympiacos CFP), Yiannis Okkas (RC Celta de Vigo), Efstathios Aloneftis (FC Energie Cottbus), Nektarios Alexandrou (Larissa FC).