Two teams wey miss World Cup 2026 go face each other for Rheinpark Stadion on Sunday for friendly match. Liechtenstein wey dem dey call Blue-Reds dey hope to avoid third defeat for row, while Cyprus dey aim to extend dem unbeaten run to three games.
Konrad Funfstuck side dey rank 206 for world by FIFA, so no be surprise say dem no qualify for tournament. Dem finish dia qualifying campaign with 7-0 hammering from Belgium for November 18, wey be eight losses from eight matches for UEFA Group J. But dem bounce back with 1-0 win over Tanzania for March 26, thanks to Ferhat Saglam goal for 55th minute.
Liechtenstein fans get doubt because dem don lose last six home matches, since 0-0 draw with Gibraltar for Nations League for October 2024. Worse still, dem no score for any of dia last five home games, wey dem concede 16 goals. After 2-0 defeat against Andorra for Thursday, morale dey low.
For Cyprus side, Apostolos Mantzios men dey try make fans happy after dem miss World Cup finals. Dem get eight points for UEFA Group H, with two wins, two draws and four losses. But 2-0 defeat against Austria for dia final qualifier make dem finish fourth, while Romania take third place.
Cyprus suffer two more losses after dat disappointment, before dem find dia feet with 3-2 win against Moldova for March 30. Dem race into three-goal first-half lead and hold out despite late Moldova effort. Now dem go into Sunday game without losing any of dia last two away matches, first time since June 2024.
On Thursday, Cyprus hold 58th-ranked Slovenia to 1-1 draw, even though dem play with 10 men. Dat one make fans dey optimistic for result for Rheinpark Stadion.
For Liechtenstein, coach Funfstuck fit use back three of Livio Meier, Andreas Malin and Jens Hofer, with Justin Ospelt for goalkeeper. Emanuel Zund and Maximilian Goppel go play wing-back, while midfield get Marcel Buchel, Lars Traber and Alessio Hasler. Up front, Ferhat Saglam and Fabio Luque-Notaro go start as strike partnership.
Cyprus fit start Neofytos Michail for goal over Fabiano Freitas, with centre-back pairing of Christos Sielis and Konstantinos Laifis. For midfield, Panayiotis Andreou wey dem send off against Slovenia no go play, so Ioannis Kosti fit join Grigoris Kastanos and Charalampos Charalampous. Striker Ioannis Pittas of CSKA Sofia go lead line, supported by Stavros Georgiou and Marinos Tzionis.
Liechtenstein don fail to score for any of dia last five home games. By contrast, Cyprus score four goals for dia two most recent outings. After dia draw with Slovenia, dem go dey confident for victory on Sunday.
