Joe Cini, Sammy Nicholl and Victor Scerri are unified in their conviction that Malta would have completed an amazing comeback if there was more time left.
Austria had raced into a 3-0 lead but late goals from Tony Cauchi and Sammy Nicholl set up a thrilling finale, sending more than 17,000 fans in delirium in Malta's first official international match on February 24, 1957 at the Empire Stadium, Gżira. To mark the 60th anniversary of that historic game, the Malta Football Association has launched a new publication, entitled 60 Years Of International Football. With the 60th anniversary of Malta's international debut the central theme of a series of events organised this year, the Malta FA chose the Annual General Meeting, held on Saturday at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, to present this 80-page publication, which was co-ordinated by the Association’s Communications Office. It is replete with interesting articles on the lead-up to that landmark match, a timeline of Malta's 'iconic moments' in its 60 years of international football and a host of interviews not only with Cini, Nicholl and Scerri, three of the surviving members of the 1957 Malta team, but also interviews with other famous players who have done the country proud. Three former captains, Carmel Busuttil, Silvio Vella and Michael Mifsud, share the best moments of their international careers while Malta coach Pietro Ghedin expresses his pride at his status as the coach with most games, 68, in charge of the national team. There are also congratulatory messages from MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo as well as Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin, the heads of FIFA and UEFA respectively, along with statistics on all the players who have represented Malta along the years, all the matches played by the national team and a list of players who have featured for the women's senior national side. Attendees for the 2017 Malta FA AGM receive a free copy of ’60 Years of International Football’ but a limited number of copies can be purchased from the Reception of MFA Offices on Level 2, Millennium Stand, National Stadium. The price is €7. For enquiries, please send an email to info@mfa.com.mt or call on 23386000.