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 teams and FIFA member teams from the Asian Football Confederation.

ELF Cup
Official Logo
Tournament details
Host countryNorth Cyprus
Dates19 November–25 November
Teams8
Venue1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Northern Cyprus (1st title)
Runners-up Crimean Tatars
Third place Kyrgyzstan
Fourth place Zanzibar
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Goals scored62 (3.88 per match)
Top scorer(s)Northern Cyprus Ertaç Taşkıran
(6 goals)

ELF Cup 2006

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The 2006 ELF Cup took place in the North Cyprus between November 19 and 25. Initially announced for non-FIFA teams only, the 2006 tournament also found places for three teams from the Asian Football Confederation - Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. However, under pressure from FIFA, Afghanistan withdrew from the tournament. [1]

Controversy

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Initially, it was announced that the North Cyprus were to hold the inaugural VIVA World Cup tournament, organised by the NF-Board as a bi-annual competition for the best non-FIFA nations. However, a dispute between the NF-Board and a new regime at the KTFF led to the tournament being taken away and granted to Occitania. The NF-Board claimed that the new government of the North Cyprus insisted on restricting which nations could and could not take part. The KTFF, however, claimed that the NF-Board made unreasonable financial demands.[2]

In response, the KTFF announced that the ELF Cup would be held at the same time as the VIVA World Cup, and have promised to pay travelling expenses to the participants, which has attracted some NF-Board members. The KTFF hope that the tournament will bring North Cyprus further into the international arena.[3]

Competitors

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Results

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The eight participants were drawn into two groups of four, with the top two from each group progressing to the knockout stage.

Group A

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Kyrgyzstan 320172+56
 Zanzibar 312032+15
 Greenland 311132+14
 Găgăuzia 301229–71

Găgăuzia 02 Greenland
Sandgreen 33'
Kreutzmann 68' (pen.)
Referee: Fahim Dayı (TRNC)

Kyrgyzstan 01 Zanzibar
Suleiman 9'
Referee: Aziz Dayı (TRNC)

Găgăuzia 16 Kyrgyzstan
Marcov 31' Mamatov 14', 37'
Kadyrov 19'
Sundeev 65', 90'
Ryskulov 75'

Greenland 11 Zanzibar
Kreutzmann 78' Omar 62'

Greenland 01 Kyrgyzstan
Kondratkov 24'
Referee: Cevdet Mertkaya (TRNC)

Găgăuzia 11 Zanzibar
Ceavdari 79' Muhammed 76'
Referee: Alkın Gedikoğlu (TRNC)

Group B

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Northern Cyprus 3300201+199
 Crimean Tatars 320136–36
 Tajikistan 310257–23
 Tibet 3003014–140

Tibet 03 Tajikistan
Aknazarov 59', 67'
Faizullaev 65'
Referee: Abdullah Özsusuzlu (TRNC)

Crimean Tatars 05 Northern Cyprus
Çakır 16'
Taşkıran 45'
Ablitarov red-colored football 65' (o.g.)
Uçaner 78'
Keleşzade 87'
Referee: Mehmet Malek (TRNC)

Tibet 01 Crimean Tatars
Ablâmetov 41' (pen.)
Referee: Ulus Sediral (TRNC)

Northern Cyprus 51 Tajikistan
Kolcu 34', 54'
Uçaner 65', 90+1'
Ulusoy 71'
Aknazarov 12'
Referee: Serkan Şimşek (TRNC)

Tajikistan 12 Crimean Tatars
Almukhamedov 45' Ametov 36'
Hayredinov 87'

Northern Cyprus 100 Tibet
Çakır 13', 30', 37'
Çukurovalı 14', 24', 43'
Selden 17', 29'
Arıkbuka 54'
Kansu 77'

Semi-finals

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Kyrgyzstan 23 (a.e.t.) Crimean Tatars
Sundeev 90+2'
Mustafayev 102'
Emiratlı 18'
Ablâmetov 94' (pen.)
Akimov 97'
Referee: Mehmet Özbilgehan (TRNC)

Northern Cyprus 50 Zanzibar
Taşkıran 24', 34', 47', 83'
Ulusoy 59'
Referee: Savaş Tilki (TRNC)

3rd Place Playoff

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Kyrgyzstan 22 Zanzibar
Mamatov 55'
Riskulov 65'
Muhammed 28', 47'
Penalties
76

Final

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2006 ELF Cup Winners
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus
First Title

Golden Team

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Goalkeepers Defenders Midfielders Forwards

Northern Cyprus Hasan Piro

Greenland Teller Mortensen
Tajikistan Eller Aknazarov
Northern Cyprus Hüseyin Amcaoğlu
Northern Cyprus Serhan Önet

Kyrgyzstan Ulan Riskulov
Northern Cyprus Hamis Çakır
Northern Cyprus Derviş Kolcu
Zanzibar Sale Juma

Northern Cyprus Ertaç Taşkıran
Zanzibar Muhammed Seyf Muhammed

Scorers

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Match Ball

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All the matches were played with Adidas Teamgeist balls.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. "Afghanistan has withdrawn from the tournament". Official ELF Cup website. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved November 14, 2006.
  2. Steve Menary (October 2006). "Worlds apart". World Soccer Magazine. p. 105.
  3. "The alternative World Cup". BBC Online. November 7, 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2006.
  4. "В поисках признания". football.ua.
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