Andre Schembri (left) fending off the challenge of an Albania opponent, in Durres, yesterday. Photo: Joe Borg

Albania 2
Malta 0

Malta opened their commitments for 2014 with a 2-0 defeat to Albania in a friendly international at the Niko Dovana Stadium in Durres, yesterday.

Missing a host of experienced players after national coach Pietro Ghedin left the likes of Roderick Briffa, Jonathan Caruana, Steve Borg, Ryan Fenech and Shaun Bajada out of his squad following a training dispute with their club Valletta, Malta still produced a resilient display but Albania, ranked 55th by FIFA, deservedly won the game with a goal in each half.

Ghedin had no qualms about the result.

“Albania deserved their 2-0 win,” he told Times of Malta.

“They played really well. The level of their players is very high. We missed an open chance in the first five minutes. We should have gone 1-0 up but Albania then took the lead.

“They were the better team but I’m happy with the effort of my players, also considering that Andre Schembri was unwell and Mifsud has just returned from injury.

“Of the new players, Bjorn Kristensen did well after replacing Gareth Sciberras and Steve Bezzina also had a good game... he could be useful for us in future.”

Andrew Hogg was handed the no.1 shirt ahead of Justin Haber. Ghedin also handed a start to Balzan’s Bezzina who took up the left-back role behind Clayton Failla.

The two centre-half positions were occupied by Andrei Agius and Ryan Camilleri with Alex Muscat at right-back.

With Briffa out of the squad and Rowen Muscat sidelined after undergoing knee surgery, Paul Fenech partnered Sciberras in central midfield while John Mintoff was preferred to Edward Herrera on the right wing.

Up front, Ghedin stuck with his tried-and-tested partnership of Schembri and Michael Mifsud with the latter leading the line.

Manny Muscat was not in the squad as Ghedin decided that the Wellington Phoenix defender doesn’t enter his plans after assessing him at training in Albania.

Gianni De Biasi, Albania’s Italian coach, picked a team brimming with foreign-based players, including goalkeeper Etrit Berisha and Lorik Cana, both on the books of Lazio, and Torino’s Migjen Basha.

Malta almost shocked Albania in the early stages as Mifsud burst clear but his drive narrowly missed the target.

After that early scare, the hosts gained the upperhand, piling up the pressure on the Maltese.

Hogg thwarted Albania on a couple of occasions but on 26 minutes, Malta conceded. It was Basha who headed the ball into the net from a corner.

Albania doubled their advantage eight minutes into the second half with a great strike from SC Paderborn striker Alban Meha.

The superior Albanians twice hit the post but Malta held firm to keep the scoreline respectable.

Albania: E. Berisha, A. Lila, M. Mavraj, A. Agolli, L. Cana, M. Basha, A. Meha, E. Kace, E. Kapllani, V. Rama, J. Hyka.

Malta: A. Hogg, A. Muscat, S. Bezzina, G. Sciberras (B. Kristensen), A. Agius, P. Fenech, C. Failla, M. Mifsud (T. Vella), A. Schembri (A. Schembri), J. Mintoff (E. Herrera), R. Camilleri.

Referee: Dejan Jakimovski (Macedonia FA).