Dusan Fitzel’s national team, on a training camp in the Czech Republic since last Sunday, obtained a narrow win in their first of two friendly matches.

They beat Mlada Boleslav B 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Andre Schembri (photo)

The match was played in continuous rain. Despite missing some players who have remained in Malta because they are nursing injuries, Fitzel’s side produced a good performance and also created some good chances, especially through Gilbert Agius, Terence Scerri and Dyson Falzon.

Fitzel made use of the following players during the match: Mario Muscat, Ian Ciantar, Ian Azzopardi, Gareth Sciberras, Brian Said, Luke Dimech, Kevin Sammut, Claude Mattocks, Terence Scerri, Gilbert Agius, Jamie Pace. Andrew Hogg, Dyson Falzon, Peter Pullicino, Ivan Woods, Kenneth Scicluna, Trevor Cilia, Roderick Bajada, Stefan Gilgio and Andre Schembri were all included as substitutes at one time or another during the match.

The second friendly is to be played on Tuesday 8 August against Bohemians Prague.

The training camp is being held in preparation for the team’s forthcoming commitments.

On 16 August, Malta plays Slovakia in a friendly at Ta’ Qali. Then, in the first week of September, Malta will meet Bosnia Herzegovina at home and Turkey in neutral Frankfurt (behind closed doors) in the first two encounters in connection with the Euro 2008 qualifying round.