What initially looked like an ordinary friendly has since assumed added prestige with the confirmation that top-class players like Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov and Parma's Valeri Bojinov are in Bulgaria's squad for this evening's match against Malta at the Hibs Ground (kick-off 7 p.m.).
Bulgaria are still reeling from their failure to reach next year's World Cup finals but coach Stanimir Stoilov's decision to bring a strong squad to Malta attests to his willingness to extract maximum benefits from today's warm-up.
A meeting with a strong footballing nation like Bulgaria is always a significant occasion for Malta. Other interesting developments, notably the return of Daniel Bogdanovic and Andrei Agius to the national team's fold and the presence of three uncapped players in John Buttigieg's final squad, have enhanced the value of this friendly from a local perspective.
In the absence of Buttigieg, who is in Coverciano for the first sessions of the Pro Licence course, the onus of facing the media on the eve of today's match fell on Carmel Busuttil, the assistant national coach.
"This friendly gives us the opportunity to try some new players," Busuttil told a news conference at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, the base of the Maltese squad.
"We are looking to build a new squad for the next competition (the Euro 2012 qualifiers). Every game is difficult for our team but we should always do our best to give a good performance.
"This match is a stepping stone for our preparations for the next qualifying competition but we will try to get a positive result. For me, a good result is a draw or a win."
Valletta's left-back Steve Bezzina, Edward Herrera, the Hibs wing-back, and Birkirkara midfielder Paul Fenech are the new kids on the block. The trio are expected to make their international bow today while Bogdanovic, currently Malta's most famous football export thanks to his exploits for English Championship side Barnsley, is tipped for a starting berth in what would be his first appearance for the national team since Buttigieg succeeded Dusan Fitzel as Malta coach.
Fielding a question about the three newcomers and Bogdanovic's recall, Busuttil said: "We have called up Bezzina, Herrera and Fenech with the aim of giving them exposure at international level.
"With regards to Bogdanovic, John (Buttigieg) has already explained that the reason why he had not been called for the last matches was because he was injured. The coach has been keeping track of Bogdanovic's progress as well as that of all the other foreign-based players."
This evening's friendly will be Malta's first since a 4-0 defeat away to Portugal brought the curtains down on a disappointing qualifying campaign in which our team collected only one point and failed to score a single goal.
The presence of Bogdanovic, who can play up front or off the strikers, should boost Malta's attacking prowess as Busuttil himself acknowledged.
"We will field two strikers to bolster our presence in attack but our tactical approach will be, more or less, the same as for previous matches. With Bogdanovic, Michael Mifsud and Ivan Woods in the squad, I think we can be more offensive-minded," Busuttil said.
Although today's match against Bulgaria is a friendly, the Malta players and coaches will doubtless be keen on offering a good performance and soften the disappointment caused by the team's shambolic display against Portugal.
"In the match against Portugal, our players were too afraid,"
Busuttil commented. "It was a do-or-die affair for Portugal and there was a lot of pressure on both teams. We struggled to keep possession and didn't even manage a single shot at goal.
"However, when analysing the Portugal-Malta match, one must always bear in mind the huge difference between the two countries, football-wise."
Busuttil made no attempt to hide his disappointment at Malta's scoring drought in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
"In the qualifying competition for Euro 2008, we gained more points and scored more goals," Busuttil said. "In the World Cup qualifiers, we had a tough time. Our opponents prepared themselves better for their matches against Malta and took measures to deal with our counter-attacks.
"In training, we do make a big effort to practise attacking combinations but these not always materialise during the match. It's an area where we have to improve and personally, I'd rather lose 2-1 than 1-0 because that would show that we tried to attack."
Buttigieg, who is expected to return to Malta in time to lead the team from the touchline today, doesn't have a full complement at his disposal as Jonathan Caruana, Alex Muscat and Andrew Cohen are still recovering from injuries while defender Kenneth Scicluna pulled out of the squad for personal reasons.
Shaun Bajada is doubtful because of dental problems but otherwise, all the other players in the squad are fit.
In light of the lack of first-team action at club level for the out-of-contract Michael Mifsud, opinion is divided about the nippy striker's inclusion in the Malta squad for today's match.
However, Busuttil stressed that Mifsud deserves support during this difficult period. "Unfortunately, Michael Mifsud is still without a club but he has always been committed to the national team," Busuttil said.
"We shouldn't forget all the good performances Michael had for the national team in the past. This is a difficult time for Michael and we must give him our support."
Malta's formation (probable): M. Muscat, A. Agius, B. Said, S. Bezzina, R. Briffa, J. Pace, G. Agius/R. Fenech, S. Bajada/C. Failla, D. Bogdanovic, K. Sammut, M. Mifsud.
Referee: Sab Nijhuis (Netherlands).