photo: Cati Cladera / EFE


Cap on the Mediterranean for a new edition of the Cyprus Cup, the eleventh since its launch in 2008. Twelve teams at the start, with ten European nations for the most part in the race for a qualification for the World Cup in France.


=> Retro - Cyprus Cup 2017: Switzerland wins the trophy against South Korea


This year, the Cyprus Cup will include among its participants, the last two winners of the tournament, Switzerland and Austria, but also Spain who won the Algarve Cup last year. With Italy and Switzerland, there are five teams present at the last Euro that will participate in the Cyprus Cup, alongside which we will find South Africa, one of the two African representatives at the last Olympic Games.


A spring with stakes in view of the World Cup


If North Korea is already out of qualifying for the World Cup, most of the teams in Cyprus will be able to use this tournament as an ideal field of preparation before important deadlines in the spring. On the side of the European countries, they are eight to be still "in race" for a qualification, even if the task looks complicated for the Czech Republic in the group of Germany and Iceland.

Wales, for the moment, are holding England in Group 1 ahead of an important match between the two teams on 6 April in Southampton, South England. Welsh internationals who play for the most part in FA WSL in the English league, with players like Natasha Harding, Sophie Ingle and Rachel Rowe, even if Welsh football's reference, Jess Fishlock is still moving towards Seattle in NWSL.

The Welsh will be in Group A of this Cyprus Cup alongside Finland, Italy and Switzerland, the latter two teams who are also leading their respective qualifying groups for the 2019 World Cup in France.

Like Wales, these two teams will have decisive matches in the spring with Switzerland, the reception of Scotland, the main opponent of the Nati in Group 2. For Italy, it is Belgium - also present in this Cyprus Cup - which is contesting the qualification to the Squadra Azzura. A balanced duel, with a first race planned for April 10th on the other side of the Alps.

In Group B of this Cyprus Cup, the Belgian Red Flames will be able to compete against Spain and Austria, semifinalist of the last Euro. Spain's Roja and Austria are in the same group qualifying for the World Cup (Group 7), with a severe defeat (4-0) inflicted by Spain to Nina Burger's teammates last fall. A group 7 where we also find Finland, and the three teams will also meet in April with meetings Finland-Spain (April) and Finland-Austria (June) which should clarify the positions.

For the Banyana South African, the spring will also be the time of qualifying matches in the Africa zone, with meetings that will take place in June and try to validate their ticket for the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana , qualifier for the World Cup.


Who will succeed Switzerland?


Like the tournament in the Algarve, the Cyprus Cup starts this Wednesday with a group stage. A series of three matches for each selection, in the form of a mini-championship, which will make it possible to separate the four teams from each of the three groups (A, B and C). The twelve selections then compete in the classification finals to determine who wins the Cyprus Cup trophy.

Teams who finish first in group A and B meet in the final, while the team that finishes first in group C plays third in the best second of groups A and B. Fifth place is played between the second group C and the "worst" second group A and B. The seventh place is played between the third group A and B. The ninth place is played between the third group C and the best fourth group A and B. Eleventh place is played between the two remaining teams.


Cyprus Cup - Composition of groups


Group A: Finland / Italy / Wales / Switzerland

Group B: Austria / Belgium / Spain / Czech Republic

Group C: South Africa / North Korea / Hungary / Slovakia


=> The complete program / results of the Cyprus Cup 2018