Emmanuel Iyoha Nears Deal With Cypriot Club Amid Maccabi Haifa Interest

Emmanuel Iyoha, a 25-year-old defender currently playing for Sturm Graz, is reportedly close to signing with Apollon Limassol in Cyprus, despite earlier reports linking him to Maccabi Haifa. Local Cypriot media claim that Apollon Limassol is in advanced negotiations with Iyoha and expects him to join the club, although other teams are also interested and the deal is not finalized. Sturm Graz's sporting director, Michael Parsen, confirmed receiving many offers for their players but stated they have yet to receive an acceptable proposal for Iyoha.

Iyoha, who stands 1.85 meters tall, previously played for Austria's youth national teams and has a diverse club history. In 2022, he transferred from Rapid Vienna to Cremonese for 3.5 million euros, then spent a season on loan at Birmingham City in England. He moved to Sturm Graz in summer 2024 for 1.6 million euros and helped the team win the Austrian Bundesliga title in the 2024/25 season. Iyoha is eligible to represent Austria due to his Austrian mother and Nigerian father and has made 13 appearances with two goals for Austria's youth squads. He is versatile, able to play as a right back or defensive midfielder, and featured in 27 matches last season, including starting in the Europa League campaign for Sturm Graz.