The national football team’s victory over Hungary in a Euro 2008 championship qualifier at Ta’ Qali stadium last Wednesday has given the Maltese lads something to shout about after a long – very long – period of time.
The 2-1 victory has come 13 years after Malta’s last competitive win, a 1-0 victory in Estonia in May 1993. The country’s last ever home win in a competition dates back to 23 February 1975, when Malta beat Greece 2-0 at the old Empire Stadium in Gzira. In between, there was another “home” win, against Iceland in 1982, but this was played on a neutral ground, in Messina.
From the above statistics, one can easily see that Malta’s wins in international competitions have been few and far between, practically one every decade. Let us hope that it will not take so long for the boys in red to please the Maltese sporting public with yet another victory.
What was perhaps equally satisfying last Wednesday was the performance of the Maltese national team, which went beyond expectations. They created several chances and the score could have been much higher in Malta’s favour, had the opportunities that came our way been taken. You do not say this very often after a national team’s match and at least victory did arrive anyway, in the end.
Football is the most popular sport in Malta, but for a long time the results obtained at international level – by the national side and also by individual clubs – have left much to be desired. Heavy defeats, especially on away soil, have been a regular occurrence and there have been times when Malta also failed against teams of a similar standard.
Apart from the four wins mentioned earlier, there have been a number of draws that were prestigious, especially when obtained against teams of a much higher standard, but then the bad results returned quickly, and the Maltese public very often ended up disappointed.
Wednesday’s victory does not mean that Malta will, one day, make it to top European football levels, but it does go to prove that, with dedication and commitment, the players can rise to the occasion and bring home important results. It ought to encourage them to try even harder the next time around and believe more in their capabilities.
The celebrations that took place in the dressing room after the match clearly exposed the thirst that there was for such a moment, which can be also be described as historic, considering that it was Malta’s first ever win at Ta’ Qali stadium.
What were perhaps lacking were celebrations in our streets. It was the right time for all football supporters to unite and express their appreciation for the great effort made by the national side. As said before, it is not often that Maltese sports-lovers have something to celebrate in terms of Maltese victories at international level.
During the last World Cup, and every other time there is a major competition taking place involving foreign nations many Maltese support such as Italy, England, Brazil and Germany, our roads are inundated with cars celebrating victories registered by these nations. But there were no carcades last Wednesday night, and the presence of Maltese flags in balconies and on roofs was not that evident either.
All the players, including those who stayed on the bench as well as the technical staff, must be commended for Wednesday’s victory, which also made the international headlines, considering that Malta is on the bottom rungs of the European football
ladder, while Hungary have an impressive history in the game.
What we all hope for is that the national team continues to build on this success and, most of all, give of its best in every game. You never know when you may hit the jackpot.