MALTA OPENS NEW CYCLE WITH FRIENDLY AGAINST GIBRALTAR

A friendly match against Gibraltar, whose federation was the latest to become part of the UEFA fold, will open Malta’s new cycle of friendlies which will herald our national team’s UEFA Euro 2016 Group H campaign.   These matches are part of our build-up ahead of the stiff tests that await our national side when they face countries like Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia and Norway, besides Azerbaijan, during the latter months of this year and throughout 2015. National team coach Pietro Ghedin has picked a provisional 33-man squad, including some newcomers, with a view to assessing the potential of each unit. His aim is to have a wide a base of players who will be capable of filling in the different roles assigned to them. Gibraltar, themselves in Group D, are equally primed to start their preparation in the best of ways. Their players are, for all intents and purposes, unknown locally, a fact which makes it incumbent on us to take things seriously when facing the team from the tiny state on the fringe of Spain. The match, to be played in Portugal on Wednesday, 4th June, will be a very useful outing for our national side, considering that the players are just about to start a new season which will be extended by the ten group matches until late next year. Malta's Provisional Squad     Name DOBClub Club Country Position      Justin Haber 09/06/1981Birkirkara FCMaltaGKAndrew Hogg 02/03/1985Kalloni LekanopedioGreeceGKNicholas Vella 27/08/1989Tarxien Rainbows FC MaltaGKGlenn Zammit 05/08/1987Sliema Wanderers FC MaltaGK     Andrei Agius 12/08/1986AprilliaItaly DFSteve Bezzina 05/01/1987Balzan FCMaltaDFSteve Borg15/05/1988Valletta FCMaltaDFRyan Camilleri 22/05/1988Hibernians FCMaltaDFJonathan Caruana 24/07/1986Valletta FCMaltaDFClayton Failla 08/01/1986Hibernians FCMaltaDFEdward Herrera 14/11/1986Birkirkara FCMaltaDFAlexander Muscat14/12/1984Sliema Wanderers FC MaltaDFIsmael Grech 26/09/1991Mosta FC MaltaDF          Shawn Bajada 19/08/1983Valletta FCMaltaMFRoderick Briffa 24/08/1981Valletta FCMalta  MF Paul Fenech 20/12/1986Birkirkara FCMaltaMFRyan Fenech 20/04/1986Valletta FCMaltaMFBjorn Kristensen05/04/1983Hibernians FCMaltaMFJohn Mintoff23/06/1988Sliema Wanderers FC MaltaMFRowen Muscat 05/06/1991Birkirkara FCMaltaMF Steve Pisani 07/08/1992Floriana FC MaltaMFAndre' Schembri 27/05/1986Omonia NicosiaCyprus MF     Michael Mifsud 17/04/1981Unattached FWJean Paul Farrugia 21/03/1992Hiberians FC  MaltaFWTerence Vella 20/04/1990Birkirkara FCMaltaFW