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In the first years after the Turkish invasion in 1974, Turkish Cypriot football teams were able to play international matches against teams from countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
. This was due to the tolerance shown by FIFA upon the initiative of its secretary-general, Helmut Käser
Helmut Käser (14 November 1912 – 11 May 1994) served as the Secretary General of FIFA, the international governing body of association football, from April 1960 to June 1981. He served under three presidents of FIFA, Englishmen Arthur Drewry ( ...
. However, after the illegal declaration of independence in 1983, Turkish Cypriot teams and the unofficial national team lost the ability to play international matches. A Turkish team, Fenerbahçe SK, had a camp in Northern Cyprus in 1990 and planned to play with a local team, but the match was not allowed by FIFA that recognises Cyprus Football Association
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It ...
to be the only internationally recognised authority for football in Cyprus. In the ELF Cup
The ELF Cup (''Equality, Liberty, Fraternity'') was an international football tournament organised by the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (KTFF), a member of the NF-Board. It was played only once in 2006. Among the participants were NF-Board ...
that took place in Northern Cyprus in 2006, FIFA successfully pressured the Afghan national team not to play in the tournament, and FIFA members Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
and Tajikistan
Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
sent their futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
teams instead. A Turkish Cypriot bid to join FIFA was rejected again in 2004, after the Annan Plan referendums. In 2007, a friendly football match between Çetinkaya Türk S.K. and Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
was cancelled after pressure by the Republic of Cyprus. In 2014, the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation, after agreement signed between the two, applied to join the Cyprus Football Association
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It ...
, but the talks reached a deadlock because of Turkey's political intervention.
Women's football
Women's football remains very undeveloped in Northern Cyprus. The first ever women's football league in Northern Cyprus, the KTFF Women's League, was established in the 2007-08 season with seven teams. The number of teams later increased to nine. However, the lack of teams and interest, as well as violence in matches resulted in the cancellation of the league by the federation. Only Akdeniz Nurçelik SK, the women's branch of Akdeniz Spor Birliği remained professionally active in this field. The team was, as of the 2014–15 season, in the Turkish Women's Third Football League
The Turkish Women's Third Football League ( tr, Kadınlar 3. Futbol Ligi) is the fourth-level league competition for women's association football in Turkey.
History
The Women's Third League was established in 2014 launching its first season i ...
.
Football stadiums in Northern Cyprus
References
{{Northern Cyprus topics