Cyprus will make the lengthy trip across the Far East to take on Japan in a friendly without several key players.
Pambos Christodoulou’s side, take on Japan at the Saitama Stadium on May 27 in what will be the furthest distance ever travelled by the island’s national team. It will be another stern test for the new coach who saw Cyprus play out a goalless draw against Northern Ireland in his first game in charge two months ago.
But former AEL and Doxa boss Christodoulou will be without the services of FC Sion striker Demetris Christofi, Omonia goalkeeper Antonis Georgallides, AEK Larnaca defender Jason Demetriou, Apollon Limassol defensive midfielder Charalambos Kyriakou and APOEL winger Stathis Aloneftis. He will also be without influential Legia Warsaw centre-back Dossa Junior – whose club are still in the hunt for the Polish league title – and young English-Cypriot forward Michael Thalassitis who was injured in Ebbsfleet United’s final game of the season.
Also left out is Cyprus’ young player of the year, Andreas Makris, with the Anorthosis Famagusta forward in Under-19 European Championship Elite Round action in Switzerland.
Some of the new faces to be called up include former Manchester United academy defender Nicholas Ioannou (now with APOEL), Aris goalkeeper Panos Constantinou, Omonia forward Onisiforos Roushias and midfielder Giorgos Economides, who recently made the switch across town from Doxa Katokopia to Omonia.
Vincent Laban, who is currently at Romanian side Astra, will fly out to Japan to join the rest of the squad.
Cyprus have never faced Japan before with Japanese officials seeing the test against Cyprus as a good precursor for when they take on Greece in World Cup in Brazil next month.
The furthest, geographically, team Cyprus has ever played was against Canada, whom they played twice in Cyprus, losing one and drawing the other.
The game will be shown live on CyBC 2 at 1pm while Cyprus depart for their long journey on Thursday
Cyprus to play Japan
