Article by Justin Gafiuc, Tudor Belivaca – published Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 00:38 / Updated Wednesday, September 10, 2025 00:50
Apostolos Mantzios, the coach of the Cypriots, reacted after his students drew with Romania, score 2-2 in the preliminaries of the 2026 World Championship.
The coach of Cyprus pointed out that his team did not start the match with Romania, but then he believes that his students were better and could win.
The coach of Cyprus, dissatisfied with the equal with Romania: “The result does not leave us fully satisfied”
“I think we didn't start the match well. Although I closed the game of the Romanian team, I received two goals. I think this was the negative point of the match and from here we started to find the quiet and make our game.
I managed to register until the break and I think in the second half I was better. Not only did we manage to equal, but in the last few minutes I could win. In the second half I did not give them opportunities to be dangerous. We can divide the match into two categories: the first part in which we were not so good and the one where I was better.
I believed at 2-0 for Romania, we managed to equal, but it is a result that does not leave us fully satisfied.
We should leave the past in the back, I have a great respect for all the selections of the Cypriot national team who have been so far. We see each other, we continue to work with the boys and I hope we have better results than the other selections.
I told the boys at the break that he had to raise his head up and we managed to equalize and we could win the match ”, said Apostolos Matzios at the press conference after the match with Romania.
