Cyprus vs Belarus – News and Probable Lineups

Cyprus will be returning to their home ground on Thursday evening to take on Belarus in an international friendly at the GSP Stadium, with another match against Moldova planned for four days later.

This match provides the home side with a crucial chance to evaluate their squad and build momentum as they continue their long-term development within the national setup, while Belarus, now under new management, will be seeking to move past a challenging few years.

Match overview

The Cyprus national team returns to the field for the first time in 2026 after completing their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where the White and Blues finished fourth in Group H, amassing eight points from two wins, two draws, and four losses.

Apostolos Mantzios’s team has secured only two victories from their last ten matches across all competitions, with both wins and six of their eleven goals during the qualifying round coming against the bottom-placed San Marino, including a 4-0 victory last match that concluded a six-game winless streak.

Currently positioned 128th in the 2026 FIFA World Rankings, Cyprus aims to use this international window for preparation ahead of the 2026–2027 UEFA Nations League, commencing in September, where they have been grouped with Montenegro, Armenia, and either Latvia or Gibraltar.

Cyprus will face Belarus on Thursday before hosting Moldova on Monday, with Mantzios naming a squad of 25 players for the two home friendlies.

Three players have received their first senior selections – Panagiotis Andreou and Angelos Neophytou from Omonia Nicosia, along with Stavros Georgiou from Omonia Aradippou, while AEK Larnaca’s Andreas Paraskevas returns to the national squad after nearly five years, having last been called in May 2021.

The selected players are Neophytos Michael, Andreas Paraskevas, Panagiotis Kyriakou, Andreas Siikkis, Giannis Satsias, Evagoras Antoniou, Christos Sielis, Stelios Andreou, Nicholas Panagiotou, George Malekkidis, Anderson Correa, Costas Pileas, Ioannis Kousoulos, Charalambos Kyriakou, Panagiotis Andreou, Ioannis Kostis, Charalambos Charalambous, Gregory Kastanos, Nikolas Koutsakos, Andronikos Kakoulli, Stavros Georgiou, Angelos Neophytos, Evangelos Andreou, Loizos Loizos, and Ioannis Pittas.

Historically, the meetings between Cyprus and Belarus have been limited, with each team claiming one victory in prior encounters, adding an intriguing layer to Thursday’s match as both sides look to refine their tactics rather than merely seek a favorable result.

Belarus is entering a new chapter following the hiring of former BATE Borisov head coach Viktor Gancharenko, who took over after Carlos Alos departed in January, having split from the federation in December.

Alos managed a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign, with Belarus unable to secure a victory in any of their six Group C matches, finishing at the bottom with two points and four defeats, including home losses to Denmark and Scotland, despite concluding the campaign with two draws.

With Gancharenko now at the helm, there is a growing optimism that Belarus can turn things around after going seven matches without a win across all competitions and experiencing a ten-game winless run in competitive fixtures since September 2024.

This international window offers Belarus a chance to prepare for the UEFA Nations League, where they will compete in Group C1 alongside Albania, Finland, and San Marino.

Before the matches against Cyprus and Armenia, Gancharenko has announced a squad of 25 players, with particular attention on the inclusion of forward Karen Vardanyan.

The 22-year-old attacker from Dynamo Minsk, who is of Armenian descent through his father but was raised by his Belarusian mother, has previously received call-ups but is yet to make his official appearance, consistently affirming his commitment to representing Belarus.

The squad comprises goalkeepers Mikhail Kozakevich, Pavel Pavlyuchenko, and Fyodor Lapoukhov; defenders Kirill Pechenin, Pavel Zabelin, Egor Parkhomenko, Roman Begunov, Vladislav Kalinin, Zakhar Volkov, Gleb Shevchenko, and Ivan Tikhomirov; midfielders Ruslan Lisakovich, Maksim Kireev, Alexander Selyava, Valery Gromyko, Evgeny Yablonski, Yuri Kovalev, Artyom Kontsevoy, Daniil Galyata, and Max Ebong; and forwards German Barkoxy, Alexander Shestyuk, Karen Vardanyan, Vladislav Morozov, and Artyom Shumansky.

Team News

Mantzios has given first-time call-ups to Andreou and Neophytou from Omonia Nicosia, alongside Georgiou from Omonia Aradippou.

There is also a return to the national side for AEK Larnaca’s Paraskevas after a five-year absence, having last been selected in May 2021.

Gancharenko has included Vardanyan in his initial squad announcement, with the forward eager to make his official debut for Belarus during this international period.

Belarus has shown some signs of stabilization in their last two outings, and the new coach may seek to build on that foundation while also enhancing their attacking effectiveness in the upcoming fixtures.

Cyprus probable starting XI:

Giorgallidis; Lambrou, Christou, Garpozis, Nikolaou, Okkas, Charalambidis, Satsias, Alonevtis, Makridis, Konstantinou

Belarus probable starting XI:

Lapoukhov; Parkhomenko, Kalinin, Zabelin; Kireev, Ebong, Yablonski, Selyava; Shestyuk, Vardanyan, Barkoxy

Cyprus approaches this match after suffering a 4-2 defeat against Estonia in November, which means their only victories in the last 31 matches have come against San Marino and Lithuania, whereas Belarus arrives following a goalless draw against an improving Greece side and competitive showings against Denmark and Scotland.

With Cyprus in a downward trend and Belarus displaying signs of improvement under new leadership, it seems reasonable to consider backing the visitors to take a closely contested match.