Big guns secure first leg gains

THE CYPRUS powerhouses gained a slight advantage in the first-leg games of the cup quarterfinals, although football pundits would agree that “It’s not over until the fat lady sings.”

Nicosia big guns Omonia settled for a 3-3 draw with AEK, but will be playing the second leg on home turf and can reasonably hope to progress to the semis. An enthralling match was played out in Larnaca, with the hosts twice coming from behind to equalise.

Meanwhile APOEL were playing away to Famagusta’s Anorthosis, in what is probably the most intriguing clash of the quarterfinals. In a high-paced game, the visitors managed a 1-0 victory, meaning they have laid the groundwork for progression.

Apollon and AEL also had to settle for a 2-2 draw in Limassol, as neither side could muster that something extra to clinch the win.

And Ethnikos, a pleasant surprise this season, defeated Olympiakos 1-0 at home, but still have a long way to go as the Nicosia team seek payback in the second leg.

The second leg games are scheduled for April 14 and 15.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.