APEA FC 3-0 Adonis Idaliou
📍 Akrotiri Community Stadium | Limassol, CY
🏆 STOK Elite ‘A’
⚽ Cyprus (Tier 4)
📅 Sat 16 Oct 21 | 3.30pm
🎟️ €5 | Att: ?
As I’ve previously mentioned on this blog, there are a wealth of lower league gems to visit in Cyprus, both in terms of the clubs themselves and the locations of the grounds, and APEA FC – an ambitious club based in Akrotiri – certainly falls into both of those categories.
Officially located on British soil (the Akrotiri peninsula is part of the Western Sovereign Base Area), the ground is a literal stone’s throw from RAF Akrotiri. It also overlooks the dramatic landscape of the area’s famous salt lakes, where flamboyances of flamingos can be found between November and March (and which are referenced on the club’s badge).
APEA are an atypical community club, with a committed core of supporters (both British and Cypriot). They are also a club on the up; following a successful takeover in January 2020, Dutch sales executive and UEFA Pro Licence holder Jamory Leysner has been building a dynamic, multinational squad of talented youngsters, and this is reflected in their fast start to the current season, with two consecutive 3-0 victories seeing them sit atop the pile.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, opponents Adonis Idaliou – from the Dali district of Nicosia – have suffered 2-0 and 4-0 defeats in their opening fixtures, and a long season of struggle seems likely.
To see my full take on the game, the ground, and both clubs, check out the video below.
Postscript: APEA did indeed go on to claim the title in convincing style, scoring 63 goals in 22 games and losing just once in the league. The Flamingos even claimed the ceremonial STOK Championship by beating Group B winners AEP Polemidia in a one-off final. Adonis, meanwhile, continued to struggle and were eventually relegated back into the regional divisions.
Adonis, meanwhile, struggled as predicted, and finished the season bottom-but-one.
