KOPA 40YEARS
GREATEST TITLE RACES
1991-92
1991-92 mathematically was the closest title race in
Kopa history.M.Michalakis assembled one of the most star studded squads seen with Kopa greats like Kypros Kyprianou,Brian Hinds,George Kanaris from AEL,George Costa,Charlie Kyriacou to name.Salamina were the hot
favourites for the title as they bolted out of the blocks and at one stage looked like no club had any chance
of stopping them being champions as AEL and Omonia stuttered,the turning point was AEL signing ex-pro John Sitton and along with awsome Nick Shakali,Tony Martin
Mario Kyprianou,Gregory Zacharia,Alan Montague,Petro
Petrou to name hunted down the reds in ruthless style.
Salamina superstars in the end buckled losing the title on goal difference,Salamina any other year would have made great champions but AELs superstars were too
good in what is arguably the greatest ever title race.
1993-94
1994 was the longest season in Kopa history ending in late June as the two biggest supported clubs in Kopa
went head to head.Marcel Pintos Omonia led an epic
title race unbeaten right until the last match and looked like the Champions but the last game was against their rivals Salamina,Omonia greats like Tony Phillipou,Fido
Neophytou,Prodromou,Kypros Kyprianou,Tony Ponnou were on the verge of the double but were ambushed by the reds at Potters Bar infront of a heaving crowd of a 1000 fans as Kopa goal king Junior Samuels dealt the K.O blow,it was bedlam at the final whistle with the Cyprus legend Koureas winning his last ever title,1994 to this day still rankles with Omonia.
.1985-86
The two best teams for most of the 80s were KLN and
Anorthosis and went at it again in another fantastic title race.It looked with two games left that Anorthosis managed by Omonia legend Andy Kokkinos was going to finish Champions but choked as they gave their old
nemesis KLN a chance to steal the title.The last day of the season was a nailbiter as it looked like KLN would give it away until Kopa legend Panny Vrahimi came to
the rescue with a memorable injury time goal at the old Hackney Astro to help Cattle K.O Anorthosis again.
1988-89
Cyprus Legends Koureas and Varnava Christophi at Salamina was the dream management many believed would find a way to break the awsome AEL domination in Kopa,they looked odds on at one stage that they'd
topple AEL led by Kopa greats like Danny Bailey,Chris
Marcou,Tony Russel,Charlie Kyriacou,George Spyrou,
Nick Eleftheriou,Pavlou Pavlou to name but AELs usual extra calibre and endurance managed to outlast the mighty reds and pipped them at the post to make it
3 titles in a row,it got worse for Salamina as they lost two Cup finals to Athletic and PAOK.
1976-77
The two best bosses and biggest rivals of the 1970s were Kopa legends Nick Kyprianou and Jimmy Cattle.
Nick Kyprianous rising Omonia stars with Kopa great Tony Georgiou who scored a record 44 league goals battled a great championship race against the hard bruising Anemos of Jimmy Cattle.The Championship was settled when Anemos beat Omonia at Finsbury
Park infront of a huge 1000 plus crowd,the big battle
went to the last game but the big Anemos enforcers
of Tony Kyprianou,George loannou,Chris Antoniades sprinkled with Forsos,Charalambous brothers and
co squeezed them home giving Jimmy Cattle a first
Championship in Kopa.
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1979-80
1980 served up a cracking title race as Anorthosis
managed by Cyprus Kopa legend Kyriaco Koureas
finally broke through and upset the favourites KLN
and Omonia winning their first title.Anorthosis led
by Kopa greats like Kokos Stavrou,Savva Savva,
Mario Koureas,Tony Sesto,Andreas Charalambous
to name were pushed all the way by Omonia but
Kopa great Kokkinos and the rest of the Omonia superstars had to settle for 2nd spot again as the
runners-up jinx of Omonia started to haunt them,
for Koureas began his great legacy and the best
era in Anorthosis history.
1977-78
Kopa legend Nick Kyprianou went down in Omonia
folklore as he did the double.KLN pre-Jimmy Cattle gave them a run for the title but awsome Omonia
with conquering Kopa greats like Tony Loizi,Mario Christodoulou,Kokkinos Captain Colossus,Vernon Williams,Angie Angelo,Barry Henley,Goal king Tony
Georgiou,Panny Philaktou,Panny Panayiotou,Tom Loizou swept their rivals aside roaring to the title.
1998-99
The 1999 championship was a pass the parcel race.
KLN led the race for months but were soon joined by Dherynia and Salamina,it looked like being a 3 horse
race until the very end but KLN suprisingly run out of steam leaving Dherynia and Salamina to fight it out.
It seemed Michalakis was going to finally win the
title with two games left but was struck by his title curse again as his reds took a fatal tumble leaving
Dheryina led by Steve Cinotti,old AEL legends Mario Kyprianou,Mark Christodoulou and Kopa goal deluxe George Gregoriou to rob the title off Salamina.
2007-08
Champions Aris were going for a record 5th title but surprise package Panthea had other plans bossed
by ex pro and Salamina legend Danny Bailey sprung
a popular surprise.Panthea bombed out of the traps like a greyhound smashing everybody in sight with
Aris catching them in the run-in as the race went to the last game but Panthea with goal machines Kyri
Kyprianou,Tansel Tezel along with veteran captain Andy Achilleas got them over the finishing line,it
was a very welcome change celebrated not only
by Panthea but by everyone in Kopa as somebody finally came along to end the Aris domination.
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1990-91
The mean machine of AEL on the back 4 titles in a row
were odds on to make it 5.Kopa great Angelo Polycarpou at Salamina was fancied to give AEL a big fight while at Omonia Jimmy Cattle had built a young talented hungry team ready to mount a real title challenge.The Salamina imploded though but was replaced by Athletic making it a 3 horse race,many believed Omonia lacked the proven
experience to topple AEL but a shock 6-1 victory over AEL gave them the belief to go to the end as soon to be Kopa greats like Prod Prodromou,Michael Kouloumanou,Fido Neophitou,Tony Ponnou,Sean Chinn showed their talent.
The race went to the last game with Omonia,AEL,Athletic
having a chance of being crowned Champions,Omonia
needed a point though and managed to get over the line infront of their delirious fans at New River as they waited 13 years to be Champions,it was a great title triumph and arguably proved that Jimmy Cattle was the greatest ever
manager in Kopa history considering the experience of his team in the era they triumphed.
1978-79
The golden era of the 70s had an unforgettable title
race in 1979 where all big Kopa games had crowds
of up to 1500 watching.1979 was about two Kopa legends with Nick Kyprianou Double winners Omonia defending their title against Jimmy Cattles great KLN.
The format was the winners of two divisions would
play a 2 leg tie for the title and so Champions Omonia took on KLN in two colossal games with Kopa greats
Tony Georgiou and Panny Vrahimi taking top billing.
Omonia looked like they would retain the title with a
1-0 victory in the first leg but the 2nd leg was all KLN as they thumped Omonia 3-0 to kick-off a big era of success as they were crowned Kopa champions.
1984-85
Salamina after years of watching KLN lord the title
were finally ready to be the champions with Cyprus Salamina legend Kyriacos Koureas putting together
a great team as Kopa goal king Tony Constantinides
made his mark along with Salamina greats like Tony Russel,Danny Bailey,Trevor Bailey,George Spyrou,
Chris Marcou,Nick Eleftheriou.Salamina were on fire but to everyones shock KLNs challenge fizzled out leaving Omonia and Anorthosis as their only threat.
Salamina were still just too strong in the end and
were finally crowned champions,so many Salamina
fans regard them the best Salamina team in history.
1995-96
Another title race cliffhanger that went all the way
as George Ioannous KLN powerhouse battled the stars
of Salamina managed by Cyprus legend Koureas and
Tom Loizou with unfancied Pangyprios tagging along
for the ride before fading.The mighty Reds were hot favourites to be Champions with Kopa winners like
Nick Eleftheriou,Kenny Dyer,Tony Constantinides,Tony Ponnou,Mario Kombou went up against KLN greats like
illy Capadak,Andy Ioannou,Danny Azar,Chris loannou.
KLN led the race into the new year before the red army closed in,it looked the more seasoned superstars of Salamina would finish the job but the big wheels came off to everyones suprise as KLN powered in with a late charge to swipe the title on the last day and for a 5th time in their grand history.
2001-02
Kopa served up another super title race in 2001-02 as
the Salamina,Apoel and Anorthosis battled it out.The
reds managed by Omonia great Tony Ponnou were the favourites to make it 3 titles in a row.Anorthosis for the first time in years mounted a challenge,outsiders were
Apoel managed by Andy Fellahoudi.Anorthosis dropped
away at the finish leaving Apoel to battle the reds.The
race went to the last game with champions Salamina just needing to avoid defeat against Apoel to keep the
title.lt was a shootout royale at the Norseman ground
as Kopa legend Nick Shakali in his 40s had a stormer swinging the result Apoels way,the unbeaten Salamis were pipped at the post losing 2-1,it still haunts many Salamina diehards to this day.
2005-06
The 2006 league race was a tale of relief and agony
for two clubs.KLN managed by Michel Poyiagis fought out a great race with champions Aris,Cinotti was going for 3 titles in a row but KLN finally wrestled the crucial advantage after they leap frogged each other all year,
it looked certain KLN would be champions with a game
left but dark events unfolded as Kopa deducted 3 big points off them,Aris took their last golden chance and stole the title.KLN were totally flattened,many believe KLN have never recovered since.
