Newsroom
Under the bright lights of the “Antonis Papadopoulos” stadium on Friday night, the Cyprus Women’s National Football Team produced a stirring comeback to defeat Albania 3–2 in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Nations League play-offs, a victory that puts them on the brink of a historic promotion to League B.
For much of the first half, however, the evening looked destined for disappointment. Albania’s Megi Dosi struck twice in quick succession, in the 29th and 33rd minutes, silencing the Cypriot crowd and leaving the home side facing a daunting 0–2 deficit.
But the Cypriot players refused to concede the night. In the 43rd minute, midfielder Maria Panayiotou ignited the comeback with a precise strike from outside the box, cutting the deficit to one. Moments later, in first-half stoppage time, Andri Violari rose to meet a corner kick from Chrysou Michael and powered home a header to level the match 2–2, sending the home supporters into a frenzy.
The momentum carried into the second half, and in the 83rd minute, Violari delivered once again, this time heading in a cross from Aristodimou to complete the turnaround and secure the 3–2 victory. The final whistle was met with cheers and applause from the hundreds of fans in attendance, many of whom stood to salute the team’s resilience.
With this result, Cyprus travels to Tirana on Tuesday, October 28, holding a slender advantage as they prepare for the decisive second leg. A positive outcome there would mark the first time in history that the Cypriot women’s team earns promotion to League B of the UEFA Women’s Nations League, a milestone that would underscore the rapid growth and spirit of women’s football on the island.
“Congratulations to our National Women’s Team for their great 3–2 victory over Albania,” the Cyprus Sports Organization wrote in a Facebook post. “With this result, our team will travel to Albania to fight for promotion, for the first time in its history. Good luck on Tuesday!”
