2023–24 Cypriot First Division Explained

Competition:Cyta Championship
Season:2023–24
Dates:18 August 2023 – 12 May 2024
Winners:APOEL
29th title
Relegated:AEZ Zakakiou
Doxa Katokopias
Othellos Athienou
Continentalcup1:Champions League
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:APOEL
Continentalcup2:Europa League
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers:Pafos
Continentalcup3:Conference League
Continentalcup3 Qualifiers:AEK Larnaca
Omonia
League Topscorer:Marios Ilia
Biggest Home Win:
Biggest Away Win:


Highest Scoring:
Matches:142
Total Goals:403
Longest Wins:7 matches
APOEL
Longest Unbeaten:13 matches
AEK Larnaca
Longest Winless:21 matches
AEZ Zakakiou
Longest Losses:11 matches
Doxa Katokopias
Prevseason:2022–23
Nextseason:2024-25
Updated:10 April 2024

The 2023–24 Cypriot First Division is the 85th season of the Cypriot top-level football league. Aris Limassol are the defending champions, having won their first title in the 2022–23 season.

The winners (APOEL, their twenty-ninth title win) qualified for the second qualifying round of the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League. The 2023–24 Cypriot Cup winners (Pafos) qualified for the first qualifying round of the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League. The runners-up (AEK Larnaca) and third-placed team (Omonia) qualified for the second qualifying round of the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League. The bottom three teams (Doxa Katokopias, Othellos Athienou, and AEZ Zakakiou) were relegated to the 2024–25 Cypriot Second Division.

Changes from previous season

ENP, Akritas Chlorakas (both clubs relegated after a single season in top flight), and Olympiakos Nicosia (relegated for the first time since 2012-13) were relegated in the previous season. They have been replaced by Othellos Athienou (promoted after a 8 seasons absence), AEZ Zakakiou (promoted after a 6 seasons absence), and Ethnikos Achna (promoted after a single season of absence), who were the top three teams in the 2022–23 Cypriot Second Division.[1]

Stadiums and locations

Note: Table lists clubs in alphabetical order.

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
AEK LarnacaLarnacaAEK Arena7,400
AEL LimassolLimassolAlphamega Stadium10,700
AEZ ZakakiouZakaki, LimassolAmmochostos Stadium5,500
Anorthosis FamagustaFamagustaAntonis Papadopoulos Stadium10,230
APOELNicosiaGSP Stadium22,859
Apollon LimassolLimassolAlphamega Stadium10,700
Aris Limassol
Doxa KatokopiasKatokopia, NicosiaKatokopia Stadium3,500
Ethnikos AchnaAchna, FamagustaDasaki Stadium7,000
KarmiotissaPano Polemidia, LimassolStelios Kyriakides Stadium9,394
Nea Salamis FamagustaFamagustaAmmochostos Stadium5,500
OmoniaNicosiaGSP Stadium22,859
Othellos AthienouAthienou, LarnacaAmmochostos Stadium5,500
Pafos FCPaphosStelios Kyriakides Stadium9,394
Source:[2]

Structure

The structure of the competition remains unchanged from the previous season. 14 teams will participate in the league. In the first round, known as Regular Season, all teams play each other home and away, for a total of 26 games each. In the second round, the league splits into two groups: Teams ranked 1–6 enter the Championship Playoffs, where they compete for the league title and places leading to European football, while teams ranked 7–14 enter the Relegation playoffs, where they compete to avoid relegation. The teams in each group play each other home and away, for a total of 10 or 14 games, depending on the group. Criteria such as points, goal difference, and head to head records are retained during the transition from first to second round. The team ranked first in the Championship Playoffs are declared champions, while the bottom three teams in the Relegation Playoffs are relegated to the Second Division.[3]

Regular season

League table

Results

Championship round

League table

Results

Relegation round

League table

Results

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Marios EliaEthnikos Achna19
2 Enzo Cabrera18
Andreas KatsantonisKarmiotissa
4 JairoPafos15
Fran SolAEK Larnaca
6 Muamer TankovićPafos14
7 Sergio CastelAnorthosis Famagusta12
Willy SemedoOmonia
9 Pedro MarquesApollon Limassol11
10 Sekou GassamaAnorthosis Famagusta9
Fiorin DurmishajNea Salamis Famagusta
Yannick GomisAris Limassol
Andronikos KakoullisOmonia
Andreas MakrisAEL Limassol
MarquinhosAPOEL

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Result DateRef
Fran Sol4AEK LarnacaEthnikos Achna5–5[4]
Marios EliaEthnikos AchnaAEK Larnaca
Pedro MarquesApollon LimassolDoxa Katokopias4–0[5]
Fran SolAEK LarnacaKarmiotissa5–0[6]
Fiorin DurmishajAris LimassolEthnikos Achna3–2[7]
Zakaria SawoNea Salamis FamagustaOthellos Athienou4–0[8]
Andreas KatsantonisKarmiotissaDoxa Katokopias4–1[9]
Mushaga BakengaApollon LimassolEthnikos Achna3–3[10]
Andreas KatsantonisKarmiotissaOthellos Athienou6–6[11]
Georgi MinchevAEL LimassolNea Salamis Famagusta5–4[12]
Note4 Player scored 4 goals

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean sheets
1 FabianoOmonia6
Vid BelecAPOEL
3 Peter LeeuwenburghApollon Limassol5
Ivica IvušićPafos
Kenan PirićAEK Larnaca
6 VanáAris Limassol4
7 Iván ArboledaAnorthosis Famagusta3
Nikos MelissasNea Salamis Famagusta
9 Constantinos PanagiEthnikos Achna2
Mateusz TaudulOthellos Athienou

Discipline

Red cards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Έπεσε η αυλαία στο 84ο Παγκύπριο Πρωτάθλημα Α' Κατηγορίας . 2023-06-27 . www.cfa.com.cy.
  2. Web site: "Κλείδωσαν" οι έδρες των 14 ομάδων, κανονικά στο "Στέλιος Κυριακίδης" η Πάφος AlphaNews.Live . 2023-07-18 . www.alphanews.live . el.
  3. Web site: 27 June 2023 . Προκήρυξη Πρωταθλήματος Cyta 2023/2024 . Declaration of Cyta Championship 2023/2024 . Cyprus Football Association . el.
  4. Web site: AEK Larnaca vs. Ethnikos Achna - 28 August 2023 - Soccerway . 2023-10-28 . int.soccerway.com.
  5. Web site: Apollon 4-0 Doxa . soccerway.com . 10 October 2023 . 9 October 2023.
  6. Web site: AEK Larnaca 5-0 Karmiotissa . soccerway.com . 26 October 2023 . 21 October 2023.
  7. Web site: Ethnikos Achna 2-3 Aris Limassol . soccerway.com . 6 February 2024 . 3 January 2024.
  8. Web site: Aris Limassol 4-0 Othellos Athienou . soccerway.com . 6 February 2024 . 31 January 2024.
  9. Web site: Doxa Katokopias 1-4 Karmiotissa . soccerway.com . 8 May 2024 . 2 March 2024.
  10. Web site: Ethnikos Achna 3-3 Apollon Limassol . soccerway.com . 8 May 2024 . 23 April 2024.
  11. Web site: Karmiotissa 6-6 Othellos Athienou . soccerway.com . 8 May 2024 . 24 April 2024.
  12. Web site: AEL Limassol 5-4 Nea Salamis Famagusta . soccerway.com . 8 May 2024 . 24 April 2024.