After Birkirkara’s 2-0 victory over champions Hibernians in the FA Trophy final on Saturday brought the curtains down on the 2014/15 domestic season, attention shifts to Malta’s international commitments next month.
Malta meet Lithuania in a friendly at the National Stadium on June 8 before hosting Bulgaria in a Euro 2016 Group H qualifier four days later.
As most of the country’s leading players were involved in the final stages of the FA Trophy competition, Malta coach Pietro Ghedin has to wait until early next week to have the entire squad available for training.
The national squad’s training programme for next month’s assignments began last week with Ghedin working with a group of players from clubs that didn’t feature in the semi-finals and final of the Knock-Out.
Malta captain Michael Mifsud, Alex Muscat, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino and goalkeeper Glen Zammit were joined by a host of new faces, the likes of Tarxien Rainbows midfielder Firas Aboulezz, Balzan defender Clive Brincat and Mark Brincat, the Mosta centre-half, who have been summoned to train with the national squad on a trial basis.
Ghedin and Ray Farrugia, his right-hand man, have been running the rule over the newcomers before finalising their 23-man squad for the upcoming assignments.
Mifsud has not played for the national team since being sent off in the first half of the 1-0 home defeat to Italy in October.
The 34-year-old has endured a difficult year as his red card against Italy earned him a two-match ban while a shin injury suffered in a league game against Hibernians in December kept him out of action for several months.
The nippy striker, the country’s all-time leading scorer with 39 goals, will be hoping to make Ghedin’s final squad for the Lithuania and Bulgaria games as he looks to resurrect his international career after an eight- month absence.
Ghedin will have some important players missing for the June games as Valletta defender Steve Borg is recuperating from a knee operation while team-mate Jonathan Caruana, who also plays at the back, is doubtful with a knee problem.
Andrew Hogg, Malta’s first-choice goalkeeper, has been effectively ruled out after breaking a finger during training with his Greek club Kalloni last month.
Hogg, who recently signed a new two-year deal with Kalloni, missed his team’s final four league games as a result of his injury.
Sliema goalkeeper Zammit is expected to be named in Ghedin’s final squad along with Justin Haber, of Birkirkara, and Hibernians’ Henry Bonello.
Valletta trio Roderick Briffa, Ryan Fenech and Ryan Camilleri, were expected to report for training with the national squad yesterday after being given a week off following their team’s elimination from the FA Trophy.
However, Fenech, the Valletta captain, didn’t train yesterday due to a knee problem.
Qormi’s Alfred Effiong, who has already earned two caps since securing a Maltese passport, also returned to training yesterday.
The players of Birkirkara and Hibernians, who contested Saturday’s final, are due to join up with their international team-mates next Monday. However, Hibs defender Andrei Agius took part in yesterday’s session.
In their last qualifier, Malta suffered a 2-0 defeat to Azerbaijan in Baku.
Malta’s only point in Euro 2016 Group H was obtained in the away game against Bulgaria last November.
Ticket sales
Meanwhile, the Malta FA yesterday launched the sale of tickets for the games against Lithuania and Bulgaria, both being played at the National Stadium. The friendly against Lithuania will kick off at 8pm while the Bulgaria qualifier starts at 8.45pm.
Joe Cassar, the Malta FA deputy general secretary, told a news conference yesterday that, so far, the Bulgarian FA have requested 150 tickets for the June 12 match.
Cassar said that, in view of the fact that there are many Bulgarian nationals residing in Malta, the MFA was keeping the West A stand (enclosure) on standby in the event that more visiting fans turn up for the game.
Norman Saliba, the Malta FA head of marketing, said that, for the Bulgaria game, all the sections of the National Stadium will be open bar the North Stand.
As always, the Malta FA is allocating a significant number of match tickets for football nurseries. As part of its Football Social Responsibility programme, the Malta FA will also be offering free tickets to the residents of immigration centres and children’s homes.
Goal Card holders will be given free entry to the Malta-Lithuania friendly.