Goalkeeper Stefan Logi Magnusson saved a penalty to help Iceland earn its first point in 2012 European Championship qualifying by holding Cyprus to 0-0 on Saturday.
The draw kept Cyprus a point ahead of last-place Iceland after four games.
The Cypriots, without injured captain Yiannis Okkas, dominated play and possession but coach Angelos Anastasiades said he was disappointed that the team's finishing had not been sharper.
''The lads tried,'' Anastasiades said. ''They did what they had to do and we played with discipline. I don't have a complaint against anyone, but we didn't win and we missed our targets.''
Anastasiades said he would soon speak to Cyprus FA officials to decide on his future with the national team.
They could have taken the lead in the 20th minute when Kristian Orn Sigurdsson was judged to have brought down Andreas Avraam inside the area. But Magnusson made a diving save on a low shot from veteran midfielder Chrysostomos Michail.
Cyprus missed another clear chance at the stroke of halftime when Magnusson made a reflex save on an Andreas Avraam shot from 10 meters (yards) out after the Cypriot midfielder picked up a pass from speedy forward Efstathios Aloneftis.
Iceland picked up the pace midway through the first half and had an opportunity in the 34th when a through pass put Birkir Mar Saevarsson alone on Cypriot goalkeeper Antonis Georgallidis, but the Iceland player's attempted lob was too low and was easily saved.
Cyprus could have earned the win in the 78th when Magnusson just managed to push Constantinos Makridis' half-volley onto the post and the rebound eluded onrushing forward Aloneftis.
Two minutes later, Magnusson fumbled a soft shot and the ball slipped through his hands in the goalmouth, but Jason Demetriou couldn't reach it in time to push the ball in for the easy goal.
The Cypriots pushed forward for a goal in the last minutes and were almost caught out in the 86th when a quick Iceland counterattack gave Heidar Helguson a clear shot from 20 meters, but it sailed harmlessly over Georgallidis' crossbar.
Lineups:
Cyprus: Antonis Georgallidis, Savvas Poursaitidis (Marios Ilia, 61), Giorgios Merkis, Valentinos Sielis (Jason Demetriou, 45), Andreas Avraam, Sinisa Dobrasinovic, Chrysostomos Michail, Konstantinos Makridis, Constantinos Charalambides, Efstathios Aloneftis, Dimitris Christofi (Nectarios Alexandrou, 73).
Iceland: Stefan Logi Magnusson, Birkir Mar Saevarsson, Kristian Orn Sigurdsson, Indridi Sigurdsson, Hermann Hreidarsson, Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Arnor Smarason, 58), Heidar Helguson, Eggert Gunnthor Jonsson, Aron Einar Gunnarsson, Rurik Gislason (Alfred Finnbogason, 64), Gylfi Thor Sigurdsson (Birkir Bjarnason, 90).
