Northern Ireland v Cyprus |
Wed 21 August | 2000 BST
Celtic midfielder Neil Lennon will captain Northern Ireland in Wednesday night's friendly against Cyprus at Windsor Park.
Lennon, who takes the armband in the absence of Steve Lomas and Gerry Taggart, has returned to fitness after knee problems and featured in both of Celtic's opening games.
His last full game for his country came last June against Bulgaria at Windsor Park.
Lennon will win his 41st cap on Wednesday in what is Northern Ireland's final warm-up game before the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign.
It is the second time the Lurgan man has skippered his country and he is hoping for a much-needed victory in the match.
"It is a great honour to captain Northern Ireland and I just hope we can get a good result and put in a good performance," Lennon told the BBC.
Ruled out
"It's a nice way to return to the squad and a good start to the international season for me personally.
"Unfortunately it has come on the back of a few other lads missing out but I am really looking forward to it."
Manager Sammy McIlroy's preparations have been hampered by a number of withdrawals.
Apart from Lomas and Taggart, goalkeeper Roy Carroll, Phil Mulryne, Paul McVeigh and Steve Elliott have all been ruled out.
McIlroy has called up West Ham's under-21 international Grant McCann along with Sunderland goalkeeper Michael Ingham and Luton's Stephen Robinson.
Taggart, meanwhile, was due to return to the international stage following a frustrating 18-month absence because of a troublesome knee injury.
He was due to collect his 51st cap and would have probably taken over the captaincy from Lomas.
WCQ = World Cup Qualifier
ECQ = European Championship Qualifier
HEAD TO HEAD MATCH TOTALS
| All | NI | CYP | Drawn |
| Total mtgs | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| WCQ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| ECQ | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
FIXTURE HISTORY
| DATE | | COMP | MATCH | | RESULT |
| 03 Feb | 1971 | ECQ | Cyprus | 0-3 | N Ireland |
| 21 Apr | 1971 | ECQ | N Ireland | 5-0 | Cyprus |
| 14 Feb | 1974 | WCQ | Cyprus | 1-0 | N Ireland |
| 08 May | 1973 | WCQ | N Ireland | 3-0 | Cyprus |
MOST RECENT MEETING
| NORTHERN IRELAND 3-0 CYPRUS |
| World Cup Qualifier - 8 May, 1973 |
| N Ireland scorers: T Anderson 2, S Morgan |
| N Ireland team: McFaul, O'Kane, Hunter (Coyle), Neill, Craig, Hamilton, (Luton), Jackson, Clements, Morgan, O'Neill, Anderson |
| Cyprus team: Varnavas, Nikolis (Rotsides 46), Theodorou L, Stylianou S, Koureas, Stefanis, Efthimiades, Kallis, Pamboullis, Koudas A, Stylianou (Mertakkas 46). |
| Att: 7,000 |
NORTHERN IRELAND
2001/2002 RESULTS
| DATE | COMP | MATCH | | RESULT | |
| 02 Jun | WCQ | N Ireland | 0-1 | Bulgaria | L |
| 06 Jun | WCQ | Czech Rep | 3-1 | N Ireland | L |
| 01 Sep | WCQ | Denmark | 1-1 | N Ireland | D |
| 05 Sep | WCQ | N Ireland | 3-0 | Iceland | W |
| 06 Oct | WCQ | Malta | 0-1 | N Ireland | W |
| 13 Feb | F | Poland | 4-1 | N Ireland | L |
| 27 Mar | F | Leicht'nstein | 0-0 | N Ireland | D |
| 17 Apr | F | N Ireland | 0-5 | Spain | L |
MOST RECENT MATCH
| NORTHERN IRELAND 0-5 SPAIN |
| Friendly - Belfast - 17 April, 2002 |
| N Ireland team: Taylor (Carroll 46), Nolan, McCartney, Horlock, Highes A, Williams M, Gillespie (McCourt 77), Elliott, Feeney (McEvilly 63), Johnson, Healy. |
| Ref: Ken Clark - Att: 11,1000 |
NORTHERN IRELAND SQUAD
| PLAYERS NAME - | D O B | - CLUB - | Caps | Gls |
| Goalkeepers |
| Michael Ingham | 09.07.80 | Sunderland | 0 | 0 |
| Maik Taylor | 04.09.71 | Fulham | 20 | 0 |
| Defenders |
| Danny Griffin | 10.08.77 | Dundee U | 21 | 1 |
| Peter Kennedy | 10.09.73 | Wigan A | 12 | 0 |
| George McCartney | 28.04.81 | Sunderland | 5 | 0 |
| Colin Murdock | 12.07.76 | Preston NE | 13 | 0 |
| Mark Williams | 28.09.70 | Wimbledon | 19 | 1 |
| Midfielders |
| Keith Gillespie | 18.02.75 | Blackburn R | 41 | 1 |
| Kevin Horlock | 01.11.72 | Man City | 29 | 0 |
| Damien Johnson | 18.11.78 | Birm'gham | 16 | 0 |
| Grant McCann | 14.04.80 | West Ham | 2 | 0 |
| Neil Lennon | 25.06.71 | Celtic | 39 | 2 |
| Forwards |
| Stephen Robinson | 10.12.74 | Luton | 5 | 0 |
| James Quinn | 15.12.74 | Willem II | 25 | 3 |
| Warren Feeney | 17.01.81 | Bournem'th | 2 | 0 |
| David Healy | 05.08.79 | Preston NE | 17 | 8 |
CYPRUS
2001/2002 RESULTS
| DATE | COMP | MATCH | | RESULT | |
|
| 07 Jun | WCQ | Portugal | 6-0 | Cyprus | L |
| 15 Aug | WCQ | Estonia | 2-2 | Cyprus | D |
| 05 Sep | WCQ | Cyprus | 1-3 | Portugal | L |
| 06 Oct | WCQ | Rep Ireland | 4-0 | Cyprus | L |
| 14 Nov | F | Greece | 1-2 | Cyprus W |
| 12 Feb | F | Cyprus | 1-1 | Switzld | D |
| | Cyprus won 4-2 on penalties |
| 15 May | F | Greece | 3-1 | Cyprus | L |
MOST RECENT MATCH
| GREECE 3-1 CYPRUS |
| Friendly - 15 May, 2002 |
| Cyprus scorer: Panagiotis Fissas 31 |
| Cyprus team: Nicos Panayiotou (Alexandros Michael 90), Petros Konnafis, Akis Ioakim (Christos Kotsonis 80), Nicas Nicolaou, Eleftherios Eleftheriou (Yiotis Engomitis 46), Panicos Spyrou, Georghios Theodotou (Chrysis Michael 46), Marinos Satsias, Marios Christodoulou (Borce Dziouref 46), Yiannakis Okkas (Yiasemakis Yiasemi 70), Marios Agathocleous (Costas Kaiafas 60). |
| Ref: Juan Antonio Hernadez - Att: 5,000 |
CYPRUS SQUAD
| PLAYERS NAME - | D O B | - CLUB - | Caps | Gls |
| Goalkeepers |
| Nicos Panagiotou | 16.12.70 | N Famagusta | | |
| Andros Petrides | 28.08.71 | Olymp'kos N | | |
| Michalis Morfis | 15.01.79 | APOEL Nic | | |
| Demetris Leoni | 13.11.77 | Limassol | | |
| Defenders |
| Marios Charalambous | 18.06.69 | Olymp.kos N | 58 | 2 |
| Demetris Ioannou | 08.12.68 | Olymp'kos N | 49 | 3 |
| George Theodotou | 01.01.74 | Omonia Nic | 38 | 0 |
| Marios Christodoulou | 04.07.74 | Aris Salonica | 34 | 4 |
| Philipos Philipou | 24.06.75 | Apollon Lim | | |
| Christos Germanos | 28.04.74 | Apollon Lim | | |
| Yiotis Panagiotou | 13.12.77 | Omonia Nic | | |
| Aristos Aristocleous | 28.02.74 | Olymp'kos N | | |
| Zacharias Charalambous | 25.03.71 | APOEL Nic | | |
| Costas Costa | 27.06.69 | Olymp'kos N | | |
| Pambos Pittas | 26.06.66 | Apollon Lim | | |
| Petros Konnafis | 28.08.79 | Omonia Nic | | |
| Midfielders |
| Nikos Panagiotou | 15.02.72 | Olymp'kos N | 52 | 0 |
| Panayiotis Engomitis | 26.05.72 | PAOK Sal'nica | 39 | 7 |
| Vassos Melanarkitis | 11.08.72 | Apollon Lim | 35 | 2 |
| Mikenko Spoljaric | 24.01.67 | Apollon Lim | | |
| Marinos Sachas | 24.05.78 | APOEL Nic | | |
| Chrysis Michael | 26.05.77 | AEL Limassol | | |
| Akis Joachim | 16.09.75 | Omonia Nic | | |
| Christos Poyiatzis | 12.04.78 | Ethnikos Ach | | |
| Costas Charalambides | 25.07.81 | APOEL Nic | | |
| Marios Themistocleous | 01.04.75 | Olymp'kos N | | |
| Nicky Papavasilliou | 31.08.70 | Olymp'kos N | | |
| Forwards |
| Kostas Malekkos | 09.04.71 | APOEL Nic | 43 | 4 |
| Yiannakis Okkas | 11.12.77 | PAOK Sal'nica | 43 | 6 |
| Mariojos Agathokleous | 08.09.74 | APOEL Nic | 37 | 10 |
| Giasemis Giasenakis | 31.05.75 | PAOK Sal'nica | | |
| Michalis Konstandinou | 19.02.78 | Panathin'kos | | 12 |
MATCH SHORTS
Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy will be looking for a marked improvement from his side when they embark on their Euro 2004 qualifying campaign. McIlroy's men finished next to bottom in World Cup European Qualifying Group Three with three wins and two draws from ten matches.
Cyprus did not fair much better, finishing one off the foot of their group with two wins and two draws from ten outings.
David Healy, with four goals, top scored for the Irish in the World Cup Qualifiers. Mikhail Andreas Konstantinou, with six goals, was Cyprus' leading marksman.
Northern Ireland won two, drew one and lost two, scoring five and conceding three, in their five home World Cup Qualifiers.
Cyprus won one, drew one and lost three, scoing five and conceding 18 in their five away World Cup Qualifiers.
McIlroy's side are still smarting from a 5-0 home defeat by Spain in their last friendly international. Their opposite numbers also lost last time out, 3-1 in Greece.
Cyprus open their Euro 2004 Group One qualifying campaign at home to deposed World champions France on 7 September. Northern Ireland are not in action in Group Six until 12 October when they go to Spain and look to avenge the defeat in April. 
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