Cyprus national team down to ten players in Nations League match against Armenia

During the Nations League match between Cyprus and Armenia at the GSP Stadium on October 2, 2026, the Cypriot national team was reduced to ten players. Defender Kostas Pileas, representing AEK, received a red card in the 52nd minute following a video assistant referee (VAR) review. The incident occurred in the 47th minute when Pileas made a challenge on the Armenian player Pantikian, initially receiving only a yellow card from the referee.

After a five-minute consultation and an on-field review (OFR), the referee determined that the challenge, which involved stepping on the opponent's ankle with his studs, warranted a dismissal. At the time of the expulsion, the Cypriot side coached by Akis Mantzios was leading the match 2-0 as part of the third round of the Group 2, League C competition. No further match developments were provided, and the team was forced to navigate the remainder of the encounter with a numerical disadvantage.