APOP to give so much for Paphos

There will be celebrations in the birthplace of Aphrodite on Thursday when APOP Kinyras/Peyias FC become the first team from the Paphos region to play in a UEFA competition, visiting SK Rapid Wien in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

Cup triumph
Georgios Polyviou's side created quite a stir last season when they upset overwhelming favourites AC Omonia and APOEL FC to reach their first Cypriot Cup final. They defied the odds again to beat AEL Limassol FC 2-0 in the final. Now the club formed in 2003 following the merger of lower division outfits APOP Peyias FC and Kinyras Empas FC are aiming to cause another stir in Vienna.

Rapid warning
Rapid – who beat Liverpool FC 1-0 in a friendly on 19 July – will not be taking any chances against the unfancied Cypriot representatives after crashing out to Anorthosis Famagusta FC in last season's UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. Around 200 APOP fans are expected to travel to Austria.

'Great challenge'
"The team is ready for this great challenge," said Polyviou. "We have prepared as best as we could for this game and some big groundwork has been laid for the upcoming season. The team is 100 per cent ready and our aim is to put on a good performance to make the district of Paphos, and the whole of Cyprus, proud. The team will fight in both games and we will be aiming to get the right result in Vienna ahead of the return leg in Cyprus. We will be needing our fans at both games to cheer us on."

'Very hopeful'
APOP captain Fangio Buyse struck a note of optimism. "All the players are ready and our aim is to get a good result," the 34-year-old Belgian midfielder said. "With the right kind of performance, we are very hopeful that we can do it."