Mistrovství světa - kvalifikace FIFA - Mistrovství světa - kvalifikace 2026

Romania Drăg heels as Cyprus Nic draw Adam Clancy, 09.09.2025 22:43 Romania were denied a seventh straight H2H victory by a spirited Cyprus side as the hosts came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying (WCQ) clash in Nicosia. Cyprus conceded the first goal in each of their last four games prior to this clash, and it took Romania just 90 seconds to get on the scoresheet. Denis Drăguș latched onto a poor backpass before rounding Fabiano Freitas and scoring into an unguarded net. Drăguș then doubled his tally before the 20-minute mark, delicately chipping Freitas from Răzvan Marin’s long pass in what was a nightmare start to the Cypriot goalkeeper’s debut. The hosts grew into the first half though, with Marinos Tzionis forcing a top save from Horațiu Moldovan from his bottom corner-bound shot. Shortly after, Cyprus then halved the deficit when Grigoris Kastanos went on a mazy dribble before squaring for Loizos Loizou to slide in at the back post. Dennis Man did at least give a timely reminder of the quality Romania possess just before HT, breaking before being denied one-on-one by Freitas. Cyprus were dominant in the second half - first, Tzionis’ snapshot was well-gathered by Moldovan before Freitas then stopped Ioannis Pittas’ spectacular effort. Romania’s goalkeeper was helpless to stop the Cypriots’s equaliser, though, as two substitutes combined in the latter stages. Andronikos Kakoullis knocked down for Charalampos Charalampous to strike beautifully on the half-volley and earn just a fourth point in qualifying, denting Romania’s own hopes of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time this century.