ANDREAS Stylianou may not be the only Paphos-born candidate running in the Nicosia municipality elections, but he is certainly the most unique.
Having captained the Cyprus national football team and APOEL, achieved awards both in Greece and Cyprus for athletics and football and been a board member of the Cyprus Sports Federation (CSF) for almost nine years, Stylianou is now hoping to bring his touch of sport into the Nicosia municipality as he runs for municipal councillor.
“I am sure that what I have to offer will not only just be beneficial to sports in Nicosia although I believe my experience will without doubt enhance sports activities in the capital,” he said.
“Apart from the general problems of Nicosia which I am aware of anyway, I also believe that the area of sports needs to be properly enhanced, which is one of the main reasons I decided to run for the position of municipal councillor.”
Stylianou needs little introduction to the sports community of Cyprus.
Having played for his beloved APOEL for 16 years, he is seen by many as one of the greatest footballers Cyprus has ever produced.
Needless to say, Stylianou, who originates from the Paphos village of Kathikas, is confident of gaining the backing of his former club.
“The supporters’ club of APOEL has already given me its assurance that I will get their backing in the elections. It’s nice to know that after all these years, I am still appreciated by the younger supporters of the club.”
At international level, he was part of the Cyprus team that won its first ever win in an official UEFA game when they beat Switzerland 2-1 in 1968.
They followed that feat with another win in the early seventies, this time claiming the scalp of Northern Ireland and George Best, defeated 1-0 on a raining evening in Nicosia.
He also captained Cyprus against England at Wembley in 1975 and has 45 international caps to his name.
But football was not the only sport of his life. Indeed, the Paphos-born forward had also broken the Pancyprian record for track and was part of the Panathinaikos Athletics team in Greece during the seventies.
During his brief stint in Greece, he also played for Panionios.
After hanging up his boots, Stylianou then became a Physical Education teacher while at the same time working on the coaching staff at APOEL.
He then joined the CSF where was on the board for a record nine consecutive years.
“Being on the board at the CSF taught me a lot about the political side of society, which has in effect put me on the right path for the municipality position.”
One man sure to give his support to Stylianou is former APOEL teammate, Leonidas Leonidou: “Nicosia can only gain by having somebody like Stylianou on the board. I played with him at APOEL for ten years and I believe he is more than just about sports.
As a person, he was not just our team captain but a man who always wanted to help everyone around him.”
