Malta coach Pietro Ghedin runs with the ball during training before the qualifier against Bulgaria. Photo: Paul Zammit Cutajar

Malta are set to play a friendly against Georgia on March 23, five days before their Euro 2016 Group H qualifier against Azerbaijan.

After wrapping up their 2014 commitments with an uplifting 1-1 draw against Bulgaria last month, Malta will resume their Euro 2016 campaign with a trip to Azerbaijan on March 28.

It is understood that Malta FA officials have long been engaged in efforts to arrange a warm-up game for the national team against one of Azerbaijan’s neighbouring countries in the lead-up to the next group qualifier.

It has now been confirmed that the Georgia FA have agreed to play a friendly against Malta as part of their preparations for a daunting home Euro 2016 Group D qualifier against world champions Germany on March 29.

The match against Malta has assumed added significance for Georgia as it will mark the start of Kakhaber Tskhadadze’s tenure as national coach.

The former Manchester City defender, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, takes over from Temuri Ketsbaia, who was in charge of Georgia for five years.

Georgia are currently fifth in Group D with three points from their first four games.

Malta, under the guidance of coach Pietro Ghedin, are second from bottom in Group H with one point from four qualifiers. Azerbaijan are still without a point.

Apart from the assignments of the senior team, the MFA are gearing up for a busy start to 2015.

Next month, Malta will host a preliminary round tournament (Group A) of the 2016 Euro Futsal competition. The Maltese team will play against England, Latvia and Andorra in the round-robin event at the Corradino Pavilion.

The MFA have also been selected by UEFA to stage one of two mini-tournaments from the preliminary round of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017. The preliminary round draw will be made on January 19.

Coaches from the MFA Technical Centre have been conducting trials for boys born in 2000 to join the association’s academy.

There are high hopes that, from next year, the MFA will receive the all-clear from UEFA to hold the Pro Licence Coaching Course in Malta.

To this end, a coach from UEFA’s Jira Panel is expected to visit the country next month for discussions with officials from the MFA Technical Centre, led by Robert Gatt.