Sir,
Two weeks ago, an editorial in the Cyprus Mail asked, “Why can we not be proud of our national team?”
There are numerous reasons, but the main one is the preoccupation with the Greek national team – a preoccupation with Greece that hinders many things relating to Cyprus. On the Sunday before the Cyprus-Republic of Ireland game, one sports paper carried an advert for a trip to watch Greece play Norway.
While I was born in the UK, I also acknowledge my Hellenic background; however, my main pride is that I’m Cypriot. Here in the UK, the English, like the Cypriot public back in Cyprus, have footballing delusions and unrealistic expectations.
The defeat in Slovakia was put into context by their win in Wales. Cyprus is a small nation which has a small population and national service to boot. The expectations are stupid and unrealistic and that applies to some in the FA. The defeat in Slovakia was never a 6-1 performance. Your editorial stated that we have waited some years for a good performance, but that is untrue. We performed well away to the Swiss as well as at home, and there were good performances at home against the Irish (2005), the French (twice) and against the Israelis.
I have been to every official fixture since the year 2000, except the two in Israel. I have had the privilege to see Mr Anastassiades and his coaches work, and they have brought many new things to our national team – discipline, nutrition and preparation. He has the players playing attractive football and as a unit, with club differences gone.
I travel to Cyprus for all home games, and as a matter of fact the game in Cardiff was my nearest ever game – and that is a four-hour drive from my South London home. I do it knowing that realistically we have a very small chance of victory, because I’m proud of my Cypriot status and that is my country’s team. It would be easy to support England but I don’t because of my pride in my background.
For those who prefer to see Greece, why? What response do you all expect from players when they arrive at a stadium with a few hundred there to support them. I saw the way the team were prepared for the Wales game and it was a case of the players not doing what they were prepared for that cost us the first two goals – interestingly one of them from a club whose fans are boycotting the national team.
Nobody has a divine right to win away games anyway. England thought they did and failed in Croatia. It’s time people in Cyprus supported their own team. In Wales there were an estimated 700 Cypriots in the stadium, the players responded to the support and the supporters to the players in the second half, and despite the loss played well.
We are Cyprus, not Brazil. Live with it. My pride and support comes from being Cypriot. My pride comes from showing my support and sometimes at away games it has only been me.
Sodiraki Georgiou, London, UK
