APOP Kinyras Peyias, Paphos Short Success Story

APOP Kinyras Peyias, Paphos Short Success Story


By Stephen Kountourou,


On the Island of Cyprus, it is very clear which towns and cities and regions are most successful when it comes to the domestic cup competition, the Cypriot Cup. Unlike the Cypriot First Division, there is a bit more of a competitive edge, with winners of the tournament since its inception in 1934, from all over the Island. Nicosia clubs APOEL and Omonia, still dominate the Cypriot Cup having won a combined thirty five cups together with fellow capital side Olympiakos Nicosia with a solitary cup win. Limassol sides Apollon and AEL are the next most successful cities in Cyprus, with fourteen cups to their names. Famagusta is the next most successful as Anorthosis and Nea Salamina have eleven and Larnaca are 4th most, now defunct clubs EPA and Pezoporikos and current side AEK have amassed nine Cypriot Cups.


But for all the success of these reigns in the cup, one part of the Island, despite its size has seen relatively little success. The western region and town of Paphos, which draws many tourists to the baths of Aphrodite, its sea side hotels and amazing culture, is not really a place rich in football success or history. With one exception. One club, that was formed a mere seventeen years ago, rose from the lower divisions to compete in the first tier, and would go on to cause a huge upset in the Cypriot Cup, becoming the most successful side in Paphos, and then was dissolved in 2012, just as quickly as they came. I am of course referring to the anomaly that was APOP Kinyras Peyias. In this blog I will be telling the story of a side that would send a shock wave into the domestic game in Cyprus. How they went from the 3rd tier to upsetting some of the biggest teams on the Island on route to becoming Cypriot Cup winners, before their demise shortly afterwards.


Two Straight Promotions, Relegation and Return 


After a merger between two Paphos clubs, APOP Peyias FC and Kinyras Empas FC in the lower divisions, APOP Kinyras Peyias or APOP Kinyras FC was born in 2003. They began life in the Cypriot 3rd division, where in their first season as a club, they were promoted as champions to the second division. The following season and in the second year of their existence they had already started turning heads by being promoted again, to the Cypriot First Division in the 2004/05 season. In their debut at the top of Cypriot football however, they found themselves relegated back to the second tier, finishing 12th and nine points behind 11th placed Olympiakos Nicosia.


APOP Kinyras were able to bounce back to the top flight the next season, once again finishing the 2006/07 season as champions. The young club would make more strides in their very brief by finishing 8th after the round two of the domestic season in 2007/08 with a further 7th placed finish the next season in 2008/09 the highest finish the club ever achieved. But it was not their league finish that season which made this particular season a famous one for the Paphos side. For 2009, was the year of the team and the reigns greatest footballing achievement to date.


Not much was expected of APOP Kinyras, when they entered the first round of the Cypriot Cup. Their first opponents however, 2nd tier side Omonia Aradippou, was an opponent that the Paphos side should in theory have had no trouble defeating. Despite comfortably beating the doves in the first leg 0-2 away in Aradippou, they were almost knocked out by their inferior opponents in Paphos. But despite losing the match 2-1 APOP Kinyras progressed 3-2 on aggregate. After a surprise victory against AEK Larnaka in the second round, the Peyia side were drawn to face Omonia Nicosia in the quarterfinals. 


Despite their heroics in the first two rounds, few would have given APOP Kinyras a chance against a giant of the Cypriot game. After the first leg ended 0-0 in Paphos, it looked almost certain for the underdogs' run to end, as they faced off against their superior opponents on paper, in the capital. Although they were clearly outmatched APOP Kinyras caused a massive shock defeating Omonia in their own backyard to reach the semi finals of the Cypriot Cup. Truly now this fairy tale run was in full swing. The Semi Finals would bring the other Nicosia giant, APOEL.


The league leaders, and champions at the eventual end of the season, were clear favourites. But even they, like their rivals Omonia, underestimated their much smaller opponent and they too succumbed to defeat at the hands of the Paphos underdogs, 2-0 and with APOEL midfielder Pinto being sent off ten minutes before full time. Despite winning 1-0 back in Nicosia, thanks to a penalty from Cypriot winger Alexandrou, APOEL too were overcome by APOP Kinyras and watched as their opponents reached the final of the Cypriot Cup 2-1 on aggregate. 


Cypriot Cup Glory


With this already being the biggest achievement from a football club from Paphos, APOP Kinyras opponent in the final would be AEL Limassol. Even with the dispatching of multiple superior sides on route cup final, many still expected AEL to come out on top and put a melancholy end to APOP fairy tale story. For the third and final time however the side from Peyia would not go down without a fight. Despite peppering APOP's goal AEL could not find an opening with ten minutes until the end of the ninety, it looked as though the game could go to extra time. AEL would rue their missed chances.


In the 84th minute a cross was drilled in from a APOP Kinyras player, missed their first players in the box, but the second player found Cypriot midfielder Angelos Efthymiou who took the shot, sending it past the keeper and putting his side 1-0 with only six minutes to go. As AEL heads bowed, APOP players raised theirs and continued to pressure their giant opponents to find another goal, to put the game to bed. Four minutes later they did just that. A storming run down the right and another accurate cross found Belgian midfielder Fangio Buyse who, with a diving header, scored the game winning goal sending the players to the bench and their fans into wild celebration. With that APOP Kinyras Peyias were crowned Cypriot Cup Champions, becoming the most successful side from Paphos, having defeated sides from all the other major regions to lift their first and last major piece of silverware. 



Proceeding their incredible Cypriot Cup victory, APOP Kinyras FC would qualify for the Cypriot Super Cup, where they faced league champions APOEL in a rematch of their semi final bout. Unlike the previous season however, APOEL were the side that came out on top winning the Super Cup 2-1 against the Paphos side. They also became the first side from the region of Paphos to compete in Europe, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, following their cup win. They entered the third qualifying round where they faced a tough opponent in Austrian side Rapid Wien. It was as far as the Cypriot team would go as they were defeated 2-1 in Wien and despite taking their opponents to extra time in Cyprus, a late goal in the 111th minute sealed the tie for the Austrian side, and APOP Kinyras went out 4-3 on aggregate. 


Aftermath and Demise 


Eventually however it all came crashing down for APOP Kinyras Peyias. Two years after their cup win and after 4 consecutive years in the top flight they were relegated to the Cypriot Second Division after finishing bottom of the table. With financial problems gripping the club, they were given a six point deduction to begin the league season. By October 2011 they were deducted a further three points by FIFA, and a further three points in April 2012, APOP Kinyras were relegated again from the second tier, but this time the drop was fatal as they were forced to go down to the fourth division by the Cyprus FA and UEFA. With the mounting debt, the club filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and APOP Kinyras Peyias were sadly dissolved. 


In the wake of Paphos greatest ever club no longer existing, new clubs sprouted in their place. The town of Peyias now is home to Peyia 2014 FC, who currently reside in the fourth tier of Cypriot football. The side from the region now considered the biggest football club is of course Paphos FC who compete in the Cypriot First Division. While football on the western side of Cyprus has not seen any success since, only time will tell if another club will take it upon themselves, to reach the heady heights of APOP Kinyras Peyias. 


Hellas Football


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