Temile gets FIFA's green light to sign for Valletta

Valletta may be struggling with injuries to key players lately but yesterday the Premier League club was boosted with the news that Frank Temile has finally received the FIFA green light to play in the Maltese championship.

The Citizens were the only club in the top flight without a complete line-up of three foreign players as before the season got underway they opted to promote Temile to Paul Zammit's senior squad and wait until FIFA issued the clearance for the 17-year-old Nigerian to seal his registration.

The world governing body of football makes thorough analysis in such situations to protect the rights of youth players when on the transfer market.

Valletta, far from the form which was expected of them so far, play Sliema in a league match on Thursday. They will have to do without injured captain Gilbert Agius and midfielder Stefan Giglio. Claude Mattocks, formerly of Sliema, will be serving suspension and flank player Dyson Falzon is also on the doubtful list as he is nursing a calf strain.

These notable absences are likely to ease Temile's chances of making the squad for the first time.

The versatile forward, who joins Argentine Sebastian Monesterolo and Heiner Backhaus, of Germany, in the City line-up, has left his mark in a couple of pre-season friendlies.

However, he has never played on a competitive level for Valletta despite conducting his training at the Salinos Ground for the past year or so.