Politis

Re-establishment of the National Armed Forces Team and Participation in International Competitions

Published March 12, 2026, 12:20
Re-establishment of the National Armed Forces Team and Participation in International Competitions

The Cyprus Football Federation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense, is proceeding with the re-establishment of the National Armed Forces team to participate in the 2027 World Military Championship qualifiers. The team will compete in a qualifying group in the Netherlands (March 23-26) against the Netherlands, France, and Luxembourg. The top two teams in the group will compete for a place in the final phase through knockout matches against teams from another group (Spain, Germany, Ireland, Armenia). The coach of the National Under-15 team, Michalis Ioannou, has taken over the technical leadership of the National Armed Forces. The list of called-up players includes players from various Cypriot teams, such as AEK Larnaca, AEL Limassol, APOEL Nicosia, Apollon Limassol, and others. The match schedule in the Netherlands has already been set, with Cyprus facing the Netherlands on March 23, France on March 24, and Luxembourg on March 26. A knockout match may follow on March 27, depending on the team's progress. The mission will depart for the Netherlands on Sunday, March 22, and return to Cyprus on Saturday, March 28. The re-establishment of the National Armed Forces marks a new effort to promote military sports and represent Cyprus in international competitions.