Valletta resume title defence with tricky Qormi clash

Champions Valletta will resume their title defence bid with an awkward-looking clash against Premier League newcomers Qormi this afternoon at the Hibs Ground (kick-off 2 p.m.).

Provided it doesn't fall victim to inclement weather, today's match should attract a sizeable crowd amid high expectations of a well-contested encounter on the field of play and strong vocal support from the stands, given that both Valletta and Qormi have a large fan base.

Before the now customary break from Premier League football, to allow for the reseeding of the turf pitch at the National Stadium, Valletta eked out a 2-1 victory over Msida St Joseph while Qormi figured in a goalless draw against Floriana.

The Citizens have not had any competitive football since October 5 but Qormi were involved in two matches from the FA Trophy, a 3-1 win over Pietà Hotspurs followed by a 2-1 loss to Ħamrun Spartans.

Coach Paul Zammit and the entire City clan will be hoping that the lack of competitive action in the past five weeks will not impact negatively on their performance today as the champions look to stretch their unbeaten start in the league.

Victory over Qormi would see Valletta join Hibs in second place on 13 points with eight matches played. On the other hand, a win for Qormi would take them on the nine-point mark, one adrift of sixth-placed Msida St Joseph.

Victor Sciriha, the Valletta president, is bracing himself for a stern challenge from Qormi in what he described as "the first of three tough games for the Citizens".

"We've got three difficult matches left to complete our first round commitments, starting with Qormi this weekend," Sciriha told The Times. "After this game, we will have the derby against Floriana followed by the fixture against Ħamrun Spartans.

"The next match is always the most important and Qormi will be no pushovers. They've got potential and great enthusiasm. We know from experience that teams derive extra motivation when they face Valletta and Qormi will be no different. I believe that if we win our next three matches, we will be in a very good position to challenge for the title."

Having terminated the contract of Brazilian striker Marcelo Tolomeotti, Valletta were widely expected to step up their efforts to sign at least one new foreign player in the past five weeks but their quest has been hit by a number of setbacks.

After spending the best part of last summer trying to secure a visa for three young Nigerian players, Valletta received the all-clear from the authorities for striker Sunday Gabriel to finally travel to Malta this week but the latter had to postpone his journey following the death of his brother, Sciriha told The Times.

Frederic Okritpen, a Nigerian midfielder, has failed to impress during his trial and discussions with ex-Italy striker Marco Delvecchio to join Valletta are still on-going.

Delvecchio was expected to fly to Malta yesterday for further talks with Sciriha and to watch Valletta's match against Qormi but a strike by Alitalia workers forced the former Roma forward to cancel his trip.

"Our attempts to strengthen the squad with the addition of high-quality foreigners have been undermined by a series of difficulties," Sciriha lamented. "At present, we have contacts with a number of foreign players and our target is to bring in one or two players during the January transfer window.

"Nevertheless, the current squad is strong enough to mount a title challenge although competition is harder this season because there is balance among the top teams."

While Valletta's no.1 objective this season is to hold on to their status as champions of Malta, Qormi's aim is to keep their place in the top flight. Their performances in the opening matches suggest that Qormi's optimism about their survival chances is not misplaced but it is equally true that their relegation rivals have been showing progress lately.

A former Valletta player himself, Qormi coach Jesmond Zerafa admits that his team face a tall order to upstage the champions but he's calling on his troops to rise to the occasion.

"It's going to be a tough match for us but I guess a fixture against the champions is the perfect occasion for our team to show its mettle," Zerafa said.

"Playing Valletta, one of the best teams on the islands, is an incentive for a club like Qormi but we will definitely try our best to give them a good challenge.

"We're the underdogs and if we manage to take some points off Valletta, it would be a bonus for us."

Veteran midfielder Keith Fenech's hopes of facing his former City team-mates have been scuppered by a one-match ban he received for his red card in Qormi's FA Trophy upset to Ħamrun.

For Valletta, Cleaven Frendo is still recovering from an ankle injury and Dyson Falzon is also likely to miss today's game with a hamstring strain.