National Team: Cyprus prevail 2-0 after the break

San Marino make their debut in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers at the AEK Arena in Larnaca, Cyprus. Roberto Cevoli names eight of the starters from November’s match in Vaduz, when the Titani stunned the football world by breaking national records and securing promotion to League C of the UEFA Nations League. Lazzari is ruled out through injury, while Vitaioli starts on the bench after feeling discomfort in his hamstring during yesterday’s official training session. For the hosts, it is the start of a new era under head coach Mantzios, who took over as National Team coach exactly two months ago. Among the Cypriots, six players also started the friendly played last June in Serravalle.

The match takes off immediately, with San Marino pressing high to win the ball and set up a left-footed effort from inside the box by Zannoni – gathered by Mall. Cyprus respond through Tzionis, who forces Colombo into action at his near post. It is the first stop in a superb evening for the San Marino goalkeeper, flawless also in his handling of crosses. His best save arguably comes on 23 minutes, when he denies Pittas with a brilliant reflex stop, clawing away a powerful curling right-footer that was heading in. Cyprus have a goal ruled out for a marginal offside soon after, before Contadini sends a shiver through the AEK Arena crowd on 36 minutes. Correia heads the ball back towards Mall, who beats the winger to it by a fraction in what looked like a repeat of Sensoli’s goal against Liechtenstein. The sides go into the break goalless, with Loizou the last to threaten courtesy of a fine left-footed strike that whistles just past the top corner.

After the restart, Cyprus break the deadlock ten minutes in, capitalising on some sloppy ball circulation by San Marino in the build-up phase. Pittas pounces to win possession and beats Colombo, his shot helped on its way by an inadvertent deflection off Tommaso Benvenuti – one of the standout performers on the night. San Marino’s reaction comes through a series of crosses delivered into the box by Tosi, but the home defence stands firm. After a curling left-footed effort from Loizou flies just over, Kakoulli rattles the woodwork with a header at the end of a brilliant sweeping move. The feeling is that Cyprus are struggling to put the game to bed, not least because of Colombo’s inspired performance: he excels again to keep out a Pittas header and a close-range effort from Loizou. On 80 minutes San Marino carve out a chance to equalise, helped also by Cevoli’s bold decision to finish with two out-and-out strikers in Nanni and Giacopetti. The latter receives the ball in the box from Contadini, shifts it onto his left foot and sends his shot just over Mall’s goal, with the keeper at full stretch. Inevitably, the Titani commit men forward in search of the 1-1, leaving Cyprus space to counter. On 83 minutes it takes a superb double intervention from Fabbri and Colombo to deny substitute Malekkidis. Another save by Colombo on Kakoulli only delays the second goal for the same forward, who was also on target in June 2024 in Serravalle: a textbook counter-attack, launched by Pittas and finished off by Costi, ends with a precise diagonal shot into the far corner to seal the win.

European Qualifiers 2024-25, Matchday 1 | Cyprus-San Marino 2-0

CYPRUS (4-4-2)

Mall; Satsias, Shelis, Panagiotou, Correia (73’ Malekkidis); Loizou (89’ Gavriel), Kousoulos (73’ Kyriakou), Kastanos, Tzionis (63’ Costi); Pittas, Sotiriou (63’ Kakoulli)

Substitutes: Demetriou, Michal, Kyprianou, Charalampous, Antoniou, Artymatas, Shikkis

Head coach: Apostolos Mantzios

SAN MARINO (4-3-3)

Colombo; Fabbri (85’ G. Benvenuti), Cevoli, T. Benvenuti, Tosi; A. Golinucci, Capicchioni (63’ Valli Casadei), Zannoni (77’ Giacopetti); Contadini, Nanni, Berardi (63’ Sensoli)

Substitutes: Zavoli, Amici, Rossi, Vitaioli, Valentini, Pasolini, Riccardi, Mularoni

Head coach: Roberto Cevoli

Referee: Andris Treimanis (LVA)

Assistant referees: Haralds Guderamanis (LVA), Aleksejs Spasennikovs (LVA)

Fourth official: Vitālijs Spasjoņņikovs (LVA)

VAR: Kristaps Ratnieks (LVA)

AVAR: Tamás Bognár (HUN)

Scorers: 55’ Pittas, 86’ Kakoulli

Booked: Valli Casadei, Tosi