Azerbaijan's women's handball club Kur will attempt to advance to the next round of a European competition for the first time in its history this weekend, October 10–11, when it faces Cyprus' APOEL in the EHF European Cup.
As reported by İdman.Biz, both matches will take place at the Kur Olympic Sports and Training Center in Mingachevir, with kick-off scheduled for 17:00 Baku time.
APOEL will be the nominal home team on October 10, while Kur will host the return leg on October 11. The winner will be determined by the aggregate score over the two matches.
Under EHF regulations, European Cup ties are normally played on a home-and-away basis. However, clubs may agree to stage both matches at the same venue. The specific reasons for this arrangement have not been disclosed.
The matches will be officiated by Austrian referees Matthias Karel and Ivan Trikovic, with Bulgaria's Delyan Genchev serving as the EHF delegate.
If Kur defeats APOEL, the Azerbaijani side will advance to the third round, where its next opponent will be determined by a draw.
The EHF European Cup follows a knockout format, with teams eliminated after losing their two-legged ties.
For the Mingachevir club, this will be its fourth consecutive European campaign. However, Kur has never progressed beyond its opening round in the competition.
The team's previous European results were as follows:
2023/24: Yomi Salerno (Italy) – 19–29, 19–36
2024/25: Ionias (Greece) – 25–32, 22–33
2025/26: Sao Pedro do Sul (Portugal) – 26–26, 23–31
Kur has therefore failed to win any of its previous six European matches, recording one draw and five defeats.
Nevertheless, the team's performances have gradually improved. After losing to its Italian opponents by an aggregate margin of 27 goals in its debut season, Kur managed to secure a draw against the Portuguese side last season, which remains its best result in European competition.
The club has also enjoyed domestic success. Kur finished second in the Azerbaijani championship in the 2023/24 season and third in 2024/25. In 2025, the team reached the Azerbaijan Cup final but lost 28–35 to Azeryol.
However, the 2025/26 national championship was not completed after the federation suspended funding, leaving Kur without an official final league position.
The situation reflects the broader crisis facing Azerbaijani handball. With the domestic championship suspended and financial support withdrawn, Kur remains virtually the only club in the country continuing its activities at a full competitive level.
Meanwhile, APOEL finished fourth in the Cypriot championship last season. The team lost all three matches in the bronze-medal playoff series against Mavrommatis, suffering defeats of 20–25, 30–33 and 20–25.
The Cypriot side also reached the semifinals of the 2026 national cup, narrowly missing out on a place in the final. After a 29–29 draw against Panellinios in regulation time, APOEL lost the penalty shootout 4–5.
Although APOEL is widely known in Azerbaijan for its football team, which faced Qarabag four times in European competitions in 2019 and previously played against Neftchi in 1995 and 2012, the women's handball team has a different background.
The team previously competed under the name Ayios Trimityas Youth Center. In September 2025, the organization signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the APOEL sports association to develop women's handball.
The resulting project now operates under the name APOEL–Ayios Trimityas.
The upcoming matches will mark the Cypriot team's European debut. According to local media, APOEL strengthened its squad ahead of the new season and hopes to eliminate Kur.
Head coach Yiannis Ioannidis has stated that preparations for the European campaign began in August, emphasizing the team's continued development following its partnership with APOEL.
Interestingly, Azerbaijani handball already has a successful history against Cypriot opposition in European competitions, although that achievement belongs to Kur's men's team.
In the 2024/25 EHF European Cup, the Mingachevir men's side defeated Cyprus' Parnassos Strovolou twice, winning 35–31 and 32–29 to advance to the third round.
For Kur's women's team, the upcoming matches represent more than an opportunity to achieve a historic European breakthrough.
Against the backdrop of financial difficulties, the suspension of domestic competition and uncertainty surrounding the future of Azerbaijani handball, the club is fighting to maintain its competitive ambitions.
A successful European campaign could provide an important psychological boost and demonstrate that Azerbaijani handball remains capable of competing internationally despite the challenges facing the sport at home.
