The national team squad leaves Malta this afternoon for Norway where on Saturday it will be playing the first of two Euro 2008 qualifying matches in Oslo, against Norway.
The following Wednesday, the team will be in action in a match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
National coach Dusan Fitzel has taken a group of 20 players for this double trip leaving out Pieta’s young goalkeeper Andrew Hogg and Hibernians forward Andrew Cohen out of his original squad of 22.
Saturday’s match will mark an important milestone in the career of captain Gilbert Agius of Valletta. If, as widely expected, he is selected to play, it will be the 100th time that he would have worn the Malta jersey, thus joining the famous club which already includes Carmel Busuttil, David Carabott and Joe Brincat.
Missing ths match on Saturday will be Luke Dimech and Roderick Briffa. Both are suspended. But they are expected to be back in the starting line-up on Wednesday in the Bosnia match.
The referee for the Norway-Malta match will be David Malcolm from Northern Ireland.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Justin Haber (Marsaxlokk), Mario Muscat (Hibernians).
Defenders: Ian Azzopardi (Floriana), Roderick Briffa (Birkirkara), Luke Dimech (Marsaxlokk), Peter Pullicino (Marsaxlokk), Brian Said (Sliema W.), Josef Mifsud (Msdia SJ), Kenneth Scicluna (Birkirkara), Stephen Wellman (Marsaxlokk).
Midfielders: Gilbert Agius (Valletta), Roderick Bajada (Sliema W.), Etienne Barbara (Birkirkara), George Mallia (Birkirkara), Jamie Pace (Marsaxlokk), Kevin Sammut (Marsaxlokk).
Strikers: Daniel Bogdanovic (Marsaxlokk), Michael Mifsud (Coventry, England), Andre Schembri (Marsaxlokk), Ivan Woods (Sliema W.).
Meanwhile, Norwegian coach Age Hareide yesterday also announced his squad for selection against Malta on Saturday and against Hungary on Wednesday.
Norway squad:
Rune Almenning Jarstein(Odd Grenland), Hakon Opdal (Brann), Martin Andresen (Brann), Daniel Braaten (Rosenborg), Simen Brenne(Lillestrom), John Carew (Aston Villa), Erik Hagen (Zenit St.Petersburg), Brede Hangeland FC København) ,Thorstein Helstad (Brann),Daniel Fredheim Holm (Valerenga), Kristofer Hæsta (Start), Steffen Iversen (Rosenborg), Frode Kippe (Lillestrom), Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn),Bjorn Helge Riise (Lillestrom), John Arne Riise (Liverpool),Espen Ruud Odd (Grenland), Jan Gunnar Soll (Brann), Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Man U),Jarl Andre Storbæk (Valerenga), Fredrik Stromsta (Start),Kjetil Wæhler (Valerenga).