HENRY BRINCAT

Malta will be meeting Turkey again, this time on the football field, in a European Championship qualifier, at the Ta’ Qali national stadium, this evening.

It is a match which pits these two nations which were at loggerheads way back in 1565. On this same day, Malta had emerged victorious in the Great Siege, but that is now a thing of the past, even if we Maltese celebrate Victory Day with great pomp till this day.

What is important today is the football match at Ta’ Qali where minnows Malta will be facing the mighty Turks, considered as one of the top six in European football circles.

With so many players plying their trade either with their own top clubs, or in most of the top leagues in Western Europe, there is no doubt that it will be a very difficult encounter for the local boys.

Fitzel was right in saying that this will be a very difficult clash, more so because the Turks have missed out on some results and cannot afford to drop points at this stage of the competition.

I am also convinced Turkey are here to win all the three points - at all cost. If not, they will probably remain out of the finals next year.

Their coach Fatih Terim, is aware of the progress made by Malta under Fitzel’s charge: he is also aware that the defending champions, Greece, also had to fight hard to get out of Ta’ Qali with the three points; yet he is confident his side will be able to overcome this obstacle and get back on track in this qualifying round.

Terim, well known in Malta following his spell in Italian football at Milan, has brought over his best squad and that includes veteran striker Hakan Sukur, also well known in Malta after his spells at Inter and Blackburn Rovers.

The Turkish squad is replete with top stars such as goalie Rustu Recber, midfielder Tuncay of Middlesbrough, Hamit Altintop of Bayern Munich, Emre Belozoglu of Newcastle, Nuri Sahin of Feyenoord and strikers Hakan Sukur of Galatasaray, Halil Altintop of Schalke 04 and Villarreal’s Nihat Kahveci.

Yet, despite these big names, Fitzel is not expected to field a defensive line-up. It has always been his policy that his side plays its normal match, according to the circumstances prevailing. This means that, in all probability, he will still maintain his normal line-up with two strikers up front. Coventry’s Michael Mifsud will definitely be one of them, the other will be Andre Schembri or Ivan Woods. Schembri may not start the match because he is not playing regularly at Eintracht Brunschweig in Germany, but even Ivan Woods only returned recently from injury, although he is 100 per cent fit.

In defence, Haber is expected to be named to man the posts, while right in front of him, there should be Kenneth Scicluna and Stephen Wellman on the flanks as well as the experienced duo of Brian Said and Luke Dimech in the centre.

In midfield, captain Gilbert Agius and Jamie Pace should be helped on the flanks by Roderick Briffa on the right and George Mallia on the left.

Fitzel will be selecting his team from the following squad:

Goalkeepers: J. Haber (Haidari, Greece), M. Muscat (Hibs).

Defenders: I. Azzopardi (Sliema), R. Briffa (Sliema), L. Dimech (Macclesfield, England), P. Pullicino (Marsaxlokk), B. Said (Sliema), K. Scicluna (Valletta), S. Wellman (Marsaxlokk), J. Mifsud (Valletta),.

Midfielders: G. Agius (Valletta), J. Pace (Marsaxlokk), G. Mallia (Birkirkara), K. Sammut (Marsaxlokk ).

Strikers: M. Mifsud (Coventry City, England), T. Scerri (Hibernians), A. Schembri (Eintracht Braunschweig, Germany), I. Woods (Sliema).

The starting formation is not expected to differ much from the following:

J. Haber, K. Scicluna, B. Said, L. Dimech, S. Wellman; R. Briffa, G. Agius, J. Pace, G. Mallia, M. Mifsud, A. Schembri (I. Woods).