The Malta Under-17 side will be engaged in Group 9 matches of the UEFA U-17 International tournament which is being hosted in Malta between Saturday 29th September and Thursday 4th October.
Besides Malta, the other teams in the group are Iceland, Portugal and Norway.
Our cadets will be coming up against stiff opposition but will no doubt perform to the best of their ability. Coach Branco Nisevic, assisted by Charles Scerri, has picked a squad from several premier and teams from other divisions. A number of players in the group have already had some experience at this representative level.
One hopes that the home factor will prove beneficial for our boys and that they are not overawed by the strength of the opposing teams. Maltese football followers are urged to attend for these matches in good numbers and give their all-out backing to our team.
It is to be noted that scouts from PSV Eindhoven of Holland and the French team Olympique Lyonnais, will be watching the tournament matches.
The programme of matches, five of which are to be played at the Centenary Stadium and another at the National Stadium, is as follows:
29th September 2012
1pm Norway vs. Malta at Centenary Stadium - Referee: Bardhyl Pashaj (ALB)
4pm Portugal vs. Iceland at Centenary Stadium - Referee: Alexander Harkam (AUT)
1st October 2012
1pm Norway vs. Iceland at Centenary Stadium - Referee: Bardhyl Pashaj (ALB)
4pm Malta vs. Portugal at Centenary Stadium - Referee: Radu Marian Petrescu (ROU)
4th October 2012
1.30pm Portugal vs. Norway at the National Stadium - Referee: Alexander Harkam (AUT)
1.30pm Iceland vs. Malta at Centenary Stadium - Referee: Radu Marian Petrescu (ROU)
Malta’s squad is the following:
Goalkeepers: Matthew Grech (Pieta Hotspurs FC), Philip Shranz (Melita FC)
Defenders: Karl Micallef (Pieta Hotspurs FC), Andrew Cassar (Balzan Y. FC), Jurgen Sultana (Hibernians FC), Beppe Jaccarini (Birkirkara FC), Clive Psaila (Sliema W. FC), Kurt Zammit (Birkirkara FC)
Midfielders: Neil Pace Cocks (Pieta Hotspurs FC), Dunstan Vella (Hibernians FC), Juan Corbalan (Balzan Y. FC), Conor Borg (Floriana FC), Jurgen Degabriele (Hibernians FC), Ryan Cutajar (Mellieha SC), Ian Montanaro (Valletta FC)
Forwards: Axl Xuereb (Sliema W. FC), Antoine Attard (Melita FC), Glenn Tabone (Floriana FC)