Cyprus football team’s game moved at last minute

The Cyprus national football team’s upcoming away fixture against Lithuania in the Nations League saw a last-minute change of venue on Thursday, after the pitch at the originally chosen ground was deemed unplayable.

Cyprus and Lithuania were due to face off at the Darius and Girenas Stadium in the city of Kaunas, but a pitch inspection revealed that the surface was in an “inappropriate” condition for an international football match to take place.

As a result, a search began for a suitable ground for the game to take place, with the nearby town of Marijampole eventually chosen.

Marijampole is located 55 kilometres from Kaunas, and its stadium, which was first opened in 2008, was deemed suitable by both the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) and Uefa for the game to take place.

A delegation from the CFA visited the stadium on Thursday morning to ensure that it met the required standards, before Uefa acquiesced to the decision.

Friday’s fixture will kick off at 7pm Cyprus time and will be shown live on television by CyBC.

It is the team’s first fixture in this season’s Uefa Nations League, with Cyprus competing in Group 3 of the league’s third tier, drawn alongside Lithuania, Kosovo, and Romania.

After facing Lithuania in Marijampole on Friday, Cyprus will play Kosovo at home at the Aek Arena in Larnaca on Monday, before facing Romania at home and Kosovo away during the next international break in October.

Cyprus’ final two group games of the tournament, at home against Lithuania and away against Romania, will take place in November.

Under the league’s updated format, Cyprus will now be required to not finish bottom of their group if they are to avoid relegation to the fourth tier or a relegation playoff.

If they are one of the two worst-performing fourth-placed teams in the third tier, they will be automatically relegated, while if they are not, they will play a two-legged playoff in March next year against a side from the fourth tier.

Similarly, if they win their group, they will be promoted to the second tier, while if they finish second in their group, they will play a two-legged playoff in March next year against a side from the second tier.

Cyprus finished bottom of their group in the last edition of the Nations League, scoring an unlikely victory over group winners Greece and two draws against Northern Ireland, but losing their other games.

They avoided a relegation playoff under the old format by virtue of being the best-performing side to finish bottom of a group in the third tier.