Malta suffered a heavy 24-0 defeat at the hands of Belgium in Brussels yesterday afternoon in a World Cup qualifier.

It was a bitter blow to the side which was hoping to continue with its positive run after last week’s encouraging victory over Croatia at the Hibs Ground.

The Maltese were overwhelmed by a much stronger Belgian side in the first half and it was no surprise that by the interval, the home side was leading 14-0.

In the second period, the Maltese improved a little, but the Belgians, ranked 32 in the world, continued to dominate, showing all-round superiority.

The match was watched by a crowd of about 3,000, including around 200 Maltese, living in Brussels or in Luxembourg.

At the end of the match, despite the defeat, the Maltese players applauded the fans for their support.