"I Think We Should See Other People" - Kostis and Others Who Could Play For Cyprus, But Don’t
It should be a time of pride in any football player’s career, where they have performed so well, that their phone rings and they hear some words that should, in theory, make their heart soar:
“Congratulations, you have been selected to represent your nation”
But, sometimes that phone call comes, and the player responds differently, other than in the positive.
There are some interesting players that have had this conversation with the Cyprus FA over the years and rejected them, and there are even instances where the Cyprus FA have not bothered at all to start that conversation in the first place. There are no lessons learnt over that time, as will be proven in the below list.
Some of these players are currently playing and still have the chance to change their mind.
I should also point out that I will not be negative towards the players. In the end, this is their career, it is their decision and it all rests on the Cyprus FA to make playing for the National Team a moment of pride, instead of an obligation. Need we talk again about what the players looked like at the end of their last match vs Spain?
Pittas is about to murder you for bringing it up again
1. Ilias Kostis
We will start with the player that inspired this article, and is the latest to confirm to the Cyprus FA that they will be waiting for someone else instead.
Kostis was born in Greece, but moved to Cyprus, when his father, Georgios Kostis, transferred from Olympiakos Volou to Olympiakos Nicosia in the summer of 2004. Kostis Sr played out the rest of his career in Cyprus, playing for AEP Pafos (which became Pafos FC), Doxa Katokopias and Omonia Aradhippou, before retiring in 2010. Between February 2015 and the end of the 2018 season Kostis Sr was Assistant Manager at APOEL Nicosia with Thomas Christiansen, Ketsbaia, Donis and others, before moving to youth coaching. He has also been in caretaker charge of APOEL on 2 separate occasions taking charge of 8 games altogether, winning 4 and drawing 1 game.
Kostis Jr started at the Arsenal Academy in Greece, until October 2015, where he moved to Keravnos Strovolou and then to the APOEL Youth Academies while his father was coaching for the senior team. There he stayed until July 2019, when Atletico Madrid came calling. He was 16 years old. Since then, the player has risen through the youth teams, and is currently turning out for the Atletico B team who are currently in the third team in Spain. In fact, for the first 3 games of the 2023/24 La Liga season, he has been an unused substitute on Atleti’s first team bench.
Kostis has played at all youth levels of the Cypriot National Team, starting with the U16s, and played for the U21s in September 2022. Since his last turnout for the Cypriot U21s however, he seems to be rejecting call-ups to the National Team. On 18th September 2023, Spyros Neofytides, who is the head of the PASP players union in Cyprus, informed Kerkida’s Super Monday broadcast, that Kostis is rejecting call-ups to the National Team.
Following the broadcast the Cyprus FA wanted to clarify matters.
“The player's wish is not to be called up to the Cyprus Men's National Team, since he has the right to be called up to the Greek Men's National Team and wants to exhaust the possibilities to play for Greece.
This wish was conveyed to the Cyprus Football Federation in the many contacts that have been made from time to time with the player and his family.
Therefore, Ilias Kostis cannot be called up to the Cyprus Men's National Team without his will.
It would be advisable for those who take a public stance on this issue to have knowledge of the facts, without misleading public opinion for the purpose of creating negative impressions against the Cyprus FA and our national teams.”
In response to the Cypriot FA’s statement, Neofytides had a response to us on Twitter:
“Always I say the truth.Unfortunately Kostis will play for Greece because they never call him for the national men’s team.The worst is that they say that was the option of the player.
They just let him go because they show no interest in him .
Unbelievable but truth.”
Why would a player, who up until this point represented Cyprus, no longer want to represent the nation? Well a few reasons, with some important ones being Greece is better at football, are more likely to qualify for competitions and are more likely to continue to face good opposition and be more competitive. He could have swapped allegiances before September 2022 but he had no issues representing Cyprus instead. What else happened in September 2022? Cyprus beat Greece 1-0 and then proceeded to get their arses handed to them 5-1 by Kosovo following a new head coach coming in.
Hey look, it’s this guy again!
Ketsbaia was unceremoniously sacked from APOEL , 4 games away from the end of the season, after being knocked out of the semi finals of the Cypriot Cup. So, up steps Kostis Sr to take charge of the team in the final four games of the season, with APOEL top of the league and clear by 4 points. He took over those final four games of the season, where APOEL beat Omonia & AEK, drew with Anorthosis, and lost to Apollon, winning the title by 8 points. Kostis Sr lifted the title with the team. Ketsbaia’s team.
Would Ketsbaia be petty enough to not include Kostis on purpose? It just seems like a very interesting coincidence that him taking charge of the Cypriot National Team and Kostis no longer showing up to the U21s. Especially weird, since, there is video from May 2023, where Kostis Sr states, that “as a family they have a moral obligation to the Cyprus National Team as Ilias, through the Cyprus National Team, is now at Atlético.”
2. Marcus Edwards
Edwards was born in Enfield in England, and started his career in the youth teams at Tottenham Hotspur and has even made an appearance for the first team as a substitute in the League Cup. While at Tottenham he was sent out on loan to Norwich City and Excelsior in the Netherlands. In the summer of 2019 he signed for Portuguese Primiera Liga side Vitoria de Guimaraes. In the 2.5 years he was in the north of Portugal he scored 20 goals and assisted in 14 in 96 appearances. Edwards was then bought by Sporting Lisbon, for a fee of 7.67 million euros, Bruno Gaspar and a loan of Geny Catamo. So far, for Sporting he has appeared 70 times, scoring 15 and assisting in 17 goals.
Edwards has appeared for England at youth level, mostly at U17s, but all the way up from U16s to the U20s. In fact, one of the games he played and scored in was vs Cyprus in the first round qualifiers for the European U17s Championships in October 2014.
So what makes Edwards a good Cypriot proposition?
His Cypriot mother. The player has been very open about his heritage, even admitting to reporters that he didn’t want to celebrate his goal vs Cyprus in case he angered his “theies” (Aunties).
“Cyprus always holds a special place in my heart, I come here every summer on holiday as my mum is Cypriot… Most of my family are from near Nicosia… I can speak and understand the language, so it was weird playing against Cyprus – I could understand everything they were saying on the pitch.”
And the most important quote: “And the food, I love it. I eat it at home all the time. My mum makes it for me. My favourite dish is Koupepia, which is vine leaves wrapped around meat. They served it here at the hotel, but it wasn’t as nice as my mum makes”
Nevertheless, someone with the history, experience and skill-set will probably hold out for that England call-up. As is his right. The question must be asked however, how many overtures have the Cyprus FA made to Marcus Edwards and his camp about representing Cyprus? That area of the pitch for England is crowded with talent, and Gareth Southgate is almost as bad as Ketsbaia for playing preferred players regardless of form.
If anyone should have had a free trip to Spain to see the national team, shouldn’t it have been him?
Instead they sent this fungus. Just infecting everything.
3. Jason & Lewis Koumas
Not much introduction is required for Koumas, but I will give a brief overview of a career that spanned almost 20 years. Koumas started off at Tranmere Rovers, before being signed by West Brom at age 23, where he was also sent on loan to Cardiff City. Wigan signed him in 2007 and in 2010 he went on loan to Cardiff again. He was released in July 2011 by Wigan and was without a club for two years until he rejoined Tranmere Rovers in 2013 until 2015 where he retired. In his career he made 476 professional appearances, scored 73 and assisted in 41 goals, including almost 100 Premier League appearances.
In addition to this, he made 33 appearances for Wales and scored 10 goals with his first international call up to Wales in June 2001 at the age of 22.
Koumas was born in Wrexham to a Greek Cypriot father and English mother, making him eligible for Cyprus, England and Wales. In fact, he received call-ups from both Wales and Cyprus, but the player opted for Wales.
Koumas has referenced many times that he feels more Welsh than anything else, and following a conversation with the caretaker manager of the England team at the time, decided to opt for Wales. Cyprus did not even enter his mind.
Now mistakes of the past are about to rear their ugly heads once again, as his son Lewis Koumas is being courted by both England and Wales, while the 17 year old impresses for the Liverpool youth team. And Cyprus is mentioned as a possibility as a footnote at the bottom of every article he’s being talked about. Why isn't the Cyprus FA even trying?
To be fair, it’s very difficult for a turtle to use a phone.
4. Nico Yennaris / Li Ke
Yennaris is a defensive midfielder who started off in the Arsenal youth teams, and was sent on loan to Notts County and Bournemouth, and in January 2014 he transferred to Brentford. At Brentford he also spent some time on loan at Wycombe. In January 2019, he signed for BJ Guoan in China and he has remained there since. He has made 250 competitive appearances, in League 2, League 1, the Championship and the Premier League, as well as the leagues in China.
Yennaris has a Chinese mother and Greek Cypriot father and was born in Leytonstone in May 1993. While within the Arsenal youth system, he earned caps for the England U17, U18 and U19 teams. There are almost 9 years between his last appearance for the England U19s in September 2010 and his first appearance for the Chinese National Team.
And in 2019 he made the transfer to Beijing, became naturalised, and he now has 8 caps for China.
What was the Cypriot FA doing in the years between?
Same thing they do every night Pinky. Absolutely nothing!
