The football national team was in for a tough four days with two World Cup qualifiers against Iceland and Bulgaria. The forecast for this double-header was bleak. Few would dare predict that the players would manage to raise themselves from the ashes and walk with their heads high after the previous setback to Sweden.

But, even though on Wednesday we were comprehensively beaten by the Bulgarians, the fact remains that the squad went through a drastic metamorphosis in a matter of weeks.

Horst Heese and Carmel Busuttil should be credited with this, particularly after coming under heavy fire following the Sweden match. They made some bold decisions and resisted calls by the media and other quarters to include more familiar names in the squad.

Last Saturday, I was assigned the running commentary of the match against Iceland.

While Iceland definitely do not live up the same street as the Swedes, their players are engaged by professional clubs outside the country. Their impressive showing in the Euro 2004 qualifiers, coupled with a 2-0 friendly win against Italy, made them firm favourites to clinch their first three points in the group after two setbacks.

But the national team defied the odds and was a whisker away from breaking the jinx of a winless streak on home soil that has spanned three decades. I have been following the team since the early 80s, and the game against Iceland can be classified as one of those matches which Malta should have won.

Such performances are few and far apart. In fact, in the last 20 years I can recall three other occasions when our national team should have left Ta' Qali with a win.

The first was against Portugal in December 1987.

It was Gentcho Dobrev's last match as coach before Heese took over. Our lads played a blinder and even had a Busuttil goal annulled for offside. Portugal took the points with a shrewdly taken free-kick that broke our hearts and dampened a bold performance.

The second opportunity came in November 1990 vs Finland.

Under the guidance of Horst Heese, the national team took the lead through Hubert Suda only to succumb to a late equaliser after a defensive blunder that saw the Finns snatching a point when they really looked down and out.

The other occasion was in October 1992 against Estonia.

This was a fixture which people expected our players to win.

In that match, the team did everything right except score a goal and the Estonians held on for a draw. At least, our players did manage an away win in the return leg in Tallinn courtesy of a Kris Laferla goal.

To date and after 63 matches in the qualifying rounds of the World Cup, the Estonia three-pointer remains our only win and the draw against Iceland was the sixth ever in these matches.

Had someone tried to analyse my frame of mind on Saturday night, they would probably have concluded that I was suffering from a bi-polar disorder.

I was elated, yet disappointed. Elated at the performance and the positive result and disappointed because Malta did not convert any of the clear-cut chances which came our way.

On Wednesday, I was not expecting any miracles though. Two international competitive matches in the space of five days are a tall order to any team most of all tiny to Malta with its severe limitations.

Our players are not accustomed to playing two domestic league matches in five days let alone such tough international assignments.

The travelling arrangements to Bulgaria could have been tackled differently and the squad should ideally have travelled 24 hours before.

Positive outcome

All in all, it was a positive outcome for the national team even though the defeat in Sofia could have been more respectable.

Other small nations also made headlines on Saturday and Wednesday.

Tiny Liechtenstein managed a draw against Portugal, who thrashed Russia 7-1 in their next match, and a resounding away win against fellow minnows Luxembourg.

Andorra registered their first ever win in competitive matches and England were frustrated by Azerbaijan in Baku.

Hopefully, the upset to Sweden will be the last time that our team experienced such a poor result. In four weeks' time, Heese and Busuttil will be leading the team against Hungary at home.

The players should be in good spirits to tackle this match and the public will hopefully be expected turn in large numbers to support the team.