A 13-year wait for a competitive win on home soil was halted on Saturday when Malta defeated Faroe Islands 2-1 to kickstart its UEFA Euro 2020 qualifications on a positive note.

Captain Michael Mifsud who was part of the team that defeated Hungary 2-1 in 2006, explained that while there are major differences between both the 2006 and current national team, he feels that this group of players have a lot of enthusiasm from which the team can benefit.

"We have a lot of enthusiasm and courage in this group, because this team has a lot of belief in its potential," Mifsud told the Times of Malta. 

Watch: Gutsy Malta see off Faroe Islands

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Henry Bonello, playing his first competitive game for the national team, played a big role as he denied the Faroes from the penalty spot to help Malta maintain a temporarily one-goal lead.

"I am happy with the performance but obviously it was a collective effort, especially since we were reduced to ten men," the Valletta goalkeeper said. 

In this game, Farrugia handed a debut to midfielder Matthew Guillaumier who had a solid showing in particular in the first half.

"It is a huge pleasure to have collected my first cap for Malta in a victory which happened to be a qualifier on home soil as well," the Birkirkara player said.

Steve Borg, scorer of the winning goal from the penalty spot, highlighted the concentration that the team had throughout the game and which enabled them to see this game through.

"We have been preparing for this tie since a long time and I think we were prepared enough to collect a very important win," the Valletta defender underlined.