As from today, our national Futsal team will be engaged in the FIFA Futsal World Cup qualifying matches in Group Seven where, apart from Malta, the strong Slovenia, Greece and Albania are also taking part.
For Michael Striz’s team it will be an arduous four-day trek which will be completed by next Sunday.
Our group opponents are ranked much higher than us and this will have our team fully stretched in order to compete with dignity in front of a home crowd at the AS Hibernians Pavilion, kindly made available for the occasion.
Addressing a news conference on the eve of the start of the tournament, MFA vice-president Ludovico Micallef, stressed that this was Malta’s first participation in a Futsal World Cup event.
He said the MFA was working hard, starting with the nurseries, to try and improve this game which is relatively new for the island.
He appealed to the public to attend the matches at the Hibernians Pavilion in Corradino and give their support to the local side.
Malta’s national team will need all the support available. This backing will definitely help Michael Stritz’s team to raise their endeavours by more than a notch so that they can perform with pride.
Assistant coach Mark Marlow said that the Maltese were looking forward towards obtaining their first ever competitive win.
He emphasised that the best chance was against Albania, whom he considered as more or less of the same level as Malta. “Against the strong Slovenia and the experienced Greeks, it will be very, very difficult,- he said.
Despite the inexperience of the locals, Marlow is confident the team will perform well. “Our target is a win against Albania. We have a team with which we can compete. We have shown improvement since the game started here two years ago,- he added.
Striz will make use of a squad consisting of individuals most of whom have already had a taste of international experience, not only on the big stage of UEFA competition but also in tournaments at home and abroad.
The five-a-side indoor game is rapidly gaining in popularity in many countries, not the least in Malta, where many young people and others who are past their 11-a-side playing age, have taken up this indoor five-a-side game.
The number of participating teams in different divisions has gone up significantly in recent years, something which attests to the allure which the game has in Malta.
The following is the programme of fixtures:
Today 5pm Slovenia v Albania; 7pm Malta v Greece
Tomorrow: 6pm Malta v Albania; 8pm Greece v Slovenia
Sunday 6pm Albania v Greece; 8pm Slovenia v Malta
Entrance to the AS Hibernians Sports Pavilion is free.
Malta squad
Goalkeepers: Benny Gialanze, Bjorn Vassallo
Players: Tyron Borg, Noel Bray, Paul Bugeja, James Ciangura, John Cutajar, Timothy Ellis, Jeanbert Gatt, Robert Magro, Roberto Micallef, Nebjosa Mijailovic, Jonathan Sammut, Mark Ellul Sullivan (captain).