Valletta’s Dutch coach Ton Caanen will be leading the same City squad which overwhelmed Keflavik of Iceland 5-2 on aggregate for Thursday’s clash against Ireland’s St Patrick’s Athletics FC.

The citizens will be leaving Malta early this morning on their way to Ireland where, on Thursday, they play the first leg of their second qualifying round tie at Richmond Park.

Caanen is very optimistic about City’s chances of making further progress in the competition, this time at the expense of the Irish side. He was at Richmond Park last Friday where he (and Niki Saliba) studied their opponents during the 1-2 home defeat in an Irish League match against Galway.

Although aware that it will be no easy task, Caanen is confident that his boys will be able to reproduce the same form with which they annihilated Keflavik in the first qualifying round.

The squad is the following:

Goalkeepers: Andrew Hogg, Nicholas Vella

Defenders: Steve Bezzina, Steve Borg, Roderick Briffa, Luke Dimech, Justin Grioli, Kenneth Scicluna

Midfielders: Edmond Agius, Jordi Cruyff, Stefan Giglio, Gilbert Agius, Jamie Pace

Strikers: Geert den Ouden, Ian Zammit, Dylan Grima, Dyson Falzon, Njongo Priso.