Ioannis Okkas

Yiannakis Okkas

Personal information
Full name	Yiannakis Okkas
Date of birth	February 11, 1977 (1977-02-11) (age 34)
Place of birth	Larnaca, Cyprus
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Anorthosis Famagusta
Number	9
Youth career
1993-1997	Nea Salamina
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1993-1997	Nea Salamina	53	(16)
1997-2000	Anorthosis Famagusta	72	(41)
2000-2003	PAOK FC	80	(41)
2003-2004	AEK Athens	24	(5)
2004-2007	Olympiakos	77	(18)
2007-2008	Celta Vigo	24	(6)
2008-2009	AC Omonia	23	(9)
2009-	Anorthosis Famagusta	74	(20)
National team‡
1997-	Cyprus	108	(26)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 2, 2010. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of October 11, 2011

Giannakis 'Ioannis' Okkas (born February 11, 1977 in Larnaca) is a Cypriot football striker, who currently plays for Anorthosis Famagusta FC. He is also the captain of the Cyprus national football team and the 2nd leading scorer of all time just behind Michalis Kostantinou for Cyprus. With 103 national caps over the last 14 years, Okkas has made more appearances for Cyprus than any other player in history.

International career

At the age of 19, Okkas was called into the Cypriot national team, and remained a regular fixture in the following decade, passing the 50-cap mark in 2003.

He scored three goals in his side's failed attempts to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, and was also on target in Euro 2004's qualifying stage, notably against France, in which Cyprus lost 1-2, but with fine displays from Okkas, including a delicate chip that left French keeper Grégory Coupet completely stranded.^[1]

On November 15, 2006, Okkas netted in a surprising Euro 2008 qualifier draw with giants Germany. He started captaining the national squad since the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

On October 8, 2010, Okkas reached 100 appearances with the Cyprus national football team against Norway in Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca. In the same match, he managed to score his 25th goal but Cyprus lost 1-2.

Trivia

For two consecutive years, Okkas scored the first league goal of the season in Greece, with AEK in 2003-04 and Olympiacos the next season.

References

1. ^ World Soccer review

External links

• National Football Teams
• Stats and profile at zerozero.pt

International goals

Ioannis Okkas: International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2 April 1997	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	Bulgaria	3–1	4–1	1998 World Cup qualifying
2	5 February 1998	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	Finland	1–1	1–1	Friendly
3	6 February 2000	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Romania	1–0	3–2	Cyprus International Tournament
4	15 November 2000	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	Andorra	1–0	5–0	2002 World Cup qualifying
5	15 November 2000	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	Andorra	2–0	5–0	2002 World Cup qualifying
6	28 February 2001	GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus	Ukraine	1–1	4–3	Cyprus International Tournament
7	28 March 2001	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	Estonia	2–0	2–2	2002 World Cup qualifying
8	14 November 2001	Kaisariani Stadium, Athens, Greece	Greece	0–1	1–2	Friendly
9	7 September 2001	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	France	1–0	1–2	Euro 2004 qualifying
10	9 October 2004	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Faroe Islands	2–2	2–2	2006 World Cup qualifying
11	17 November 2004	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Israel	1–1	1–2	2006 World Cup qualifying
12	26 March 2005	GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus	Jordan	2–0	2–1	Friendly
13	1 March 2006	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	Armenia	1–0	2–0	Friendly
14	11 October 2006	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales	Wales	3–1	3–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
15	15 November 2006	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Germany	1–1	1–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
16	6 February 2007	Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	Hungary	2–0	2–1	Cyprus International Tournament
17	22 August 2007	Stadio Olimpico (San Marino), Serravalle, San Marino	San Marino	0–1	0–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
18	8 September 2007	Dasaki Stadium, Achna, Cyprus	Armenia	2–1	3–1	Friendly
19	13 October 2007	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Wales	1–1	3–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
20	13 October 2007	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Wales	2–1	3–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
21	11 February 2009	Makario Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Slovakia	3–0	3–2	Cyprus International Tournament
22	9 September 2009	Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro	Montenegro	1–1	1–1	2010 World Cup qualifying
23	14 October 2009	Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma, Italy	Italy	0–1	3–2	2010 World Cup qualifying
24	3 September 2010	Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal	Portugal	3–3	4–4	Euro 2012 qualifying
25	8 October 2010	Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus	Norway	1–2	1–2	Euro 2012 qualifying
26	11 October 2011	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway	Norway	2–1	3–1	Euro 2012 qualifying

Persondata
Name	Okkas, Ioannis
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 11, 1977
Place of birth	Larnaca, Cyprus
Date of death
Place of death