Useful work-out for Fitzel's selection against Belgium Olympic team

National team coach Dusan Fitzel will be grabbing the opportunity to widen the spectrum of players who have the potential to be drafted in his national squad when he fields a Maltese selection to play a friendly match against the visiting Belgian Olympic team this evening at the National Stadium, Ta' Qali (kick-off 6 p.m.).

The Belgians, in Malta on a training camp ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games in August, are expected to offer more than adequate sparring opponents for Fitzel's experimental side and will certainly produce strong opposition.

The friendly will be a final work-out for the Maltese national team travelling to Graz a few days later to face Austria in another friendly encounter.

The match in Austria will be within a wider picture of the Maltese team's preparation for the first World Cup 2010 Group commitments in September, the opening match being a home encounter against Portugal.

For the match against the Belgians, Fitzel will have 21 players at his disposal and most of them will play a part as both coaches are expected to agree on unlimited use of substitutions.

The list includes established players, including foreign-based ones, as well as five others who currently form part of Mark Miller's U-21 side.

These are Sliema duo Henry Bonello and Matthew Bartolo, and Jonathan Caruana, Edmond Agius and Clayton Failla, all on the books of Hibs.

The squad

Goalkeepers: Andrew Hogg (Valletta); Henry Bonello (Sliema).

Defenders: Jonathan Caruana (Hibs); Edmond Agius (Hibs); Aaron Xuereb (Hibs); Clayton Failla (Hibs); Ian Azzopardi (Sliema); Brian Said (Sliema); Luke Dimech; Steve Wellman (Marsaxlokk).

Midfielders: Kevin Sammut (Marsaxlokk); Jamie Pace (Marsaxlokk); Peter Pullicino (Marsaxlokk); Roderick Briffa (Sliema); Matthew Bartolo (Sliema); Roderick Bajada (Sliema); Udo Nwoko (Leixoes).

Forwards: Andrew Cohen (Hibs); Terence Scerri (Hibs); Etienne Barbara (Sliema); Cleaven Frendo (Marsaxlokk).

Promotion decider

The Malta-Belgium Olympic XI warm-up will be followed by a Division One decider (kick-off 8 p.m.) for the runners-up place and a berth in the Premier League next season.

Mosta and Qormi finished joint second on equal points behind leaders Tarxien Rainbows. The Division One league came to a close last weekend when Tarxien secured first place with a 3-0 victory over St Patrick.

Tarxien made it to the Premier League after collecting 39 points from 18 matches.

Mosta and Qormi trailed two points behind. At the other end, Mellieħa and Marsa were relegated.