Avgousti leaves Karmiotissa to become Cyprus national team manager

Karmiotissa manager Sofronis Avgousti left the club on Tuesday, with it expected that he will become manager of Cyprus’ national team.

The club announced that he had left by mutual consent, after having been in the dugout for just four competitive games since becoming the club’s manager in July.

Of those four games, he won one, a 1-0 away victory against Enosis Neon Paralimni, drew one, a 1-1 draw against Omonia 29M last Friday night, and suffered two home defeats, 3-1 against Aris Limassol and 3-0 against Apoel.

The announcement brings to an end a second brief stint at Karmiotissa, after he had managed the club for eight games between December 2022 and February 2023.

He has also managed Apollon across two separate stints, Aek Larnaca, and both of Nicosia’s giants Apoel and Omonia, winning the Cypriot Cup twice, with Apollon in 2017 and with Omonia in 2023.

During his playing days he was a goalkeeper, featuring 11 times for Cyprus’ national team between 2004 and 2010.

He looks set to replace Temur Ketsbaia, who left the job after a damaging 4-0 defeat at home against Kosovo in the Uefa Nations League on September 9.

Cyprus’ next fixture is at home against Romania in the Nations League on October 12, before they travel to Prishtina for the return fixture against Kosovo three days later.

Romania are top of Cyprus’ Nations League group, having beaten Kosovo 3-0 in Prishtina and then beaten Lithuania 3-1 at home.

Cyprus are third, above Lithuania, after beating them 1-0 in a hastily rearranged fixture in Marijampole.