Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa concedes five goals in debut with AEL Limassol in the Cypriot First Division

It took Ochoa four long months to step back onto a professional pitch, but his long-awaited debut in Cyprus turned out to be a disaster. His last official appearance dated back to May, when he played for AVS in Portugal’s Primeira Liga - a 3-0 defeat to Moreirense that closed his chapter in that league.

The defeat dropped AEL Limassol off the summit of the Cypriot top division, with the club now third on goal differential, tied for points with Omonia and league giants APOEL. 

Ochoa held firm for just 21 minutes in his first start for the club, his seventh in Europe, before Senou Coulibaly opened the scoring with an unstoppable strike. Early on, the veteran showed poise and barked instructions to organize his back line, but repeated defensive lapses left him exposed and chasing the game.

The pressure only mounted after the break. Willy Semedo doubled Omonia’s advantage in the 50th minute, and the floodgates opened late with goals from Evangelos Andreou in the 75th minute, Ioannis Kousoulos in the 78th minute, and Angelos Neofytou in the 83rd minute. Ochoa made several saves to keep the score from growing even worse, but the lopsided result underscored a rocky beginning to his Cypriot adventure.

Ochoa's objective is clear; he is aiming for a record sixth World Cup. He joined AEL Limassol in an effort to earn consistent minutes and regain rhythm as he hopes to convince Mexico coach Javier Aguirre that he belongs on Mexico's roster in next summer's tournament. 

Mexico will face Colombia on Oct. 11 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as part of the upcoming FIFA window. Four days later, on Oct. 15, El Tri will take on Ecuador at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.