The first week of September will be a very busy period for Malta’s national and the Under 21 teams as they will be engaged in Euro qualifying matches.

The ‘A’ team will host Croatia at the National Stadium, Ta’ Qali, this Friday at 7pm and four days later will face Georgia at the same venue at 8.30pm in two UEFA Euro 2012 Group F matches.

Our team is seeking to win its first spoils after six matches in this difficult group which has the first four-placed sides still in with a chance to qualify for the finals next year. The matches will certainly pose stiff hurdles for our boys under the charge of John Buttigieg, more so when our opponents cannot afford to misfire in terms of points won.

The recent 2-1 victory against the Central African Republic in a preparatory match earlier this month should encourage our side to perform well and reach long-desired objectives. Support from what is hoped to be a sizeable turnout of Maltese will be of paramount importance.

Likewise, solid backing for our cadets is solicited. The Under 21’s, guided by Ray Farrugia, have almost flown out of their blocks when in their opening two away matches against Finland (0-0) and Lithuania (2-1), they collected four points which put them on velvet at the top of Group 2 table, albeit jointly with Finland.

This is indeed an unedited position for tiny Malta and one hopes that our matches against Slovenia on Thursday at 7pm at the Hibernians Stadium, Corradino, and the following Tuesday against Finland at 4pm at the same stadium will produce further evidence of our team’s resurgence.