“We’re not being presumptuous. We must believe in our performance but we also need to eradicate the small mistakes that have cost us in the last matches. I’m not here expecting a win but we need something more than just a positive showing to gain a good result.”
Pietro Ghedin’s assertion sums up his expectations ahead of Malta’s encounter with the Czech Republic at the Doosan Arena in Plzen this evening.
The Italian knows only too well that Malta would need something tantamount to a miracle to upset the Czechs in the their first home outing of this World Cup campaign but, at the same time, Ghedin’s ambitions transcend the pursuit of a spirited performance.
Having seen his team put on a gallant showing in a 2-0 defeat to Italy in Modena last month, the Malta coach is challenging his players to go one step further and earn their first point in Group B.
“Our group is important,” Ghedin told reporters before Malta held their official training session at the venue of today’s qualifier.
“Every game has a story. Tomorrow (today) we will look to do our duty... we are determined to perform with dignity.
“The showing against Italy was good but our objective is not only to play well. We want to gain points.
“We believe in what we’re doing and we are growing as a team.
“In the game against the Czech Republic, we will try to produce a good performance but we will also strive to get a result which would be great for Maltese football.”
Group B is regarded as one of the toughest, what with Italy and strong footballing nations like Czech Republic, Denmark and Bulgaria all vying for a place in the 2014 World Cup.
Like all the big teams, the Czechs will be confident of taking six points from their meetings with Malta but Ghedin is keen to shake off the ‘whipping boys’ tag.
“They all want to win against us,” Ghedin said.
“They are in a rush to beat the small teams and we’re angry about this situation. We want to show that it’s not like that.”
The 0-0 draw in their opening qualifier away to Denmark last month extended the Czechs’ goal drought to four matches, stretching back to their 1-0 defeat to Portugal in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.
Faced with a question about the Czechs’ scoring travails, Ghedin said: “I watched them at the Euros and I liked their playing style. It’s not important that they haven’t scored lately. I saw the match against Denmark and they had two great chances.”
Malta did well to weather long spells of pressure against Italy but Ghedin believes the Czechs will present a different challenge.
“They are more direct (than Italy), the Czechs are powerful and fast,” Ghedin said.
“Let’s not forget that the Czech Republic have a great history... in 1996 they had an excellent team.”
The mood in the Maltese camp is upbeat with the players clearly at ease working under Ghedin who goes about his stuff in a very professional manner without being too rigid.
Of the 11 players who began the Italy qualifier, only winger Daniel Bogdanovic is missing as he’s re-cuperating from a fractured foot.
With Andrew Cohen and Ryan Fenech also out, Ghedin has a dearth of wide midfielders, especially on the left.
The inclusion of John Mintoff in the squad suggests that the Sliema Wanderers winger is a candidate for a starting role. But the experience of Shawn Bajada is likely to sway Ghedin’s decision in his favour.
Bogdanovic’s absence aside, Ghedin is not expected to make other changes from the team he sent out in Modena.
Andrew Hogg is certain to start in goal with Andrei Agius and Luke Dimech filling the two centre-half roles and Alex Muscat and Steve Borg manning the flanks.
Roderick Briffa and Gareth Sciberras will be the two central midfielders with Edward Herrera and Bajada, probably, deployed on the wings.
Up front, André Schembri will take up the role of support striker behind Michael Mifsud.
Among the substitutes, Ghedin will have two uncapped players, forward Terence Vella and midfielder Ayrton Azzopardi.
The latter’s call-up took many by surprise as Azzopardi, who turns 19 in December, has yet to break into Hibs’ first team but Ghedin has been impressed with the youngster’s potential.
“Ayrton Azzopardi needs to be helped,” Ghedin said.
“He’s a good player... promising boys must be nurtured well. They have to be inserted in important teams. Leaving them at home will not aid their development.”
Bilek seeks goals
Michal Bilek, the Czech Republic coach, is convinced that his team will end their goal drought this evening.
The Czechs have gone four matches without scoring but Bilek's sees the home clash with Malta as the perfect opportunity for his team to break their jinx.
Bilek said that, although he has respect for Malta, he knows that they are weaker than the Czechs who will be doing their best to score as many goals as possible.
“Malta having a fast attack but we can’t afford to drop any points,” Bilek said.
Past Encounters
World Cup
18-09-96 Czech Rep.-Malta 6-0
24-09-97 Malta-Czech Rep. 0-1
11-10-00 Malta-Czech Rep.0-0
05-09-01 Czech Rep.-Malta 3-2
Euro Championship
06-09-94 Czech Rep.-Malta6-1
12-10-94 Malta-Czech Rep.0-0
Friendly Match
05-06-09 Czech Rep.-Malta1-0
Probable Formations
CZECH REP.: P. Cech, T. Gebreselasie, T. Sivok, M. Kadlec, D. Limbersky, F. Rajtoral (M. Petrzela), J. Plasil, T. Hubschman, P. Jiracek, T. Pekhart, J. Rezek (D. Lafata).
MALTA: A. Hogg, S. Borg, L. Dimech, A. Agius, A. Muscat, E. Herrera, G. Sciberras, R. Briffa, S. Bajada/J. Mintoff, A. Schembri, M. Mifsud.
Referee: Anar Salamov (Azerbaijan FA).
Kick-off: 18.00 (live TVM2).