National coach Horst Heese will be leaving Malta in a happy mood after yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Bulgaria – the third positive result after the draws with Iceland and Croatia.

After the match, he paid tribute to the players, the MFA and the crowd at the Stadium yesterday for producing such a magnificent performance and a positive result.

He added: “Had we not been so excited near the end, we might have also snatched victory, but the result makes me very happy, especially for the boys. They have worked hard and deserve all the praise. It was a great performance and I now hope that the development in the side which I started will be continued by my successor. Of course, I will be back for the first match, as part of my heart is still here,” he said.