Watch Cyprus v Republic of Ireland live here on RTÉ.ie (RoI only) from 7pm on Saturday, 5 September. Live commentary available worldwide on RTÉ Radio 1. A post-match Web-Only Special will be hosted live after the game.
Cyprus is beautiful in September. Although a slight hint of mellow softness permeates the island air, the hot sun still cascades from a clear blue-sky tingeing the landscape with its golden hue.
The delightful sea breeze moves quietly across the land cooling the brown bodies that populate the warm sandy beaches and encourages sun-burnt faces, shaded by brown hands, to peer out across the glittering Mediterranean and marvel unceasingly at the panoramic scenes of maritime tranquillity.
Moving inland one cannot but be awestruck by a history that stretches back some 9,000 years before the birth of Christ and has been influenced through the ages by the presence of such diverse cultures as the Byzantine, Ottoman and British Empires.
The remnants of temples and outdoor theatres dot the land offering the more contemplative visitor many impressive visual reminders that they are walking a land with an amazing past.
It is indeed a sign of the times we live in that absolutely not even one sliver of what is contained in the above four paragraphs will impact in any way whatsoever on the thousands of Irish people who will congregate in Nicosia this weekend.
The wonderfully rich tapestry of ancient history that will literally surround the Irish visitors to this sparkling jewel nestling at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, will not be cast a fleeting eye nor have even a careless thought radiated in its direction from the hordes of green and white clad Irish supporters.
While some may come in contact with the infamous 'Green Line' that separates the Cypriot side of the capital city from its Turkish counterpart, for the majority it will be as a result of an explorative foray to find a bar that still has some beer left as opposed to an impromptu investigation of the architectural merits of a city that still retains tangible signs of its extremely violent past.
But then it has to be noted I suppose, that this is a vital weekend for the Republic of Ireland in its quest to qualify for South Africa 2010. This Saturday’s game in Nicosia may just hold the key to whether Irish throats drink the city dry of its beer in celebration and a stirring sense of anticipation of another crucial Saturday to come in early October, or in dejection at another disaster in the evening Nicosia sun.
At the moment we have our own future in Group 8 in the palm of our own hands, at least in relation to the play-off spot. While Italy hold the better cards at this precise time, Ireland can still shuffle the deck and it is imperative that Saturday's result allows the same sense of self-determination to be in position.
With Bulgaria fully expected to win at home over Montenegro, it is essential that we gain at least a point in Cyprus, which would guide us closer to that second spot, but I do believe that everybody accepts that we are capable of all three.
This has as much to do with the opponents' difficulties as much as it does with our own proficiencies. The distinct lack of confidence pertinent to the Cypriot team with some top players missing and the manager suspended and confined to the stands, allied to the same manager’s strange mutterings to the local media, suggest that this is an opportunity for the Irish players to erase the bad memories of three years ago.
This is not to suggest however, that this will be an easy game. I have experienced the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and if the home team are allowed to gain a foothold in the game the home supporters are capable of creating a hostile environment for the Irish lads.
I managed Cork City in the Champions League at this stadium in 2006. Although the stadium was only half full with some 12,000 spectators the atmosphere was passionate and quite volatile.
When the home team scored in the second half to draw level on aggregate the noise levels increased enormously and for a while we were under some serious pressure and the setting on and off the park became hot and sultry.
However, when City scored what turned out to be the winning goal of the tie, the heart went out of the home players and their supporters quietened down considerably.
Hopefully a similar scenario will unfold on Saturday.
The high-summer months of August and July have slowly wound their way into the past and the distinctly appealing and much more agreeable setting promised by the approach of autumn encourages many, like myself, to travel to Cyprus at summer's end.
Since I have long since lost the urge to sit in the hot sun and watch my skin change colour, I prefer to explore the sights and listen to the sounds of a part of the world that still resonates to the rhythm of a remarkable history.
