TESTING TIME FOR MALTA AS BUILD-UP FOR EURO 2016 STARTS

Malta will again be under Pietro Ghedin’s microscope as the team is due to play Albania on foreign soil on Wednesday 5 March in the opening test of the year for our players. It will be the first friendly for the Maltese as they start their preparatory build-up to the opening Euro 2016 away match against Croatia in Group H on 9 September to be followed by the home encounter against Norway on 10 October and three days later against Italy at Ta’ Qali  Ghedin is fully aware of the importance of adequate preparation of his units as he aims to get his squad in as fine a tactical and physical shape as possible for the Euro top competition for nations. Our task when confronting countries such as those in our group is a formidable one. The Italian is under no illusion. His target is satisfactory performances complemented by creditable results. Breaking our duck in terms of points has always been high on our agenda. To achieve this the team has to perform with utmost diligence, concentration and good tactical nous. The match in Albania will offer the first inkling of our capabilities, more so when we have to play in conditions which may be far from favourable for us. The match will be an opportunity for Ghedin to assess the quality of new faces he may introduce in the squad and their integration with the core units. The squad to face Albania is as follows: Justin Haber Birkirkara FCGKAndrew Hogg Kalloni LekanopedioGK   Andrei Agius F.C. ApriliaDFSteve Bezzina Balzan Youths FCDFRyan Camilleri Hibernians FCDFAlexander MuscatSliema Wanderers FC DFEmmanuel Muscat Wellington Phoenix FC DFZach MuscatBirkirkara FCDFJoseph ZerafaBirkirkara FCDF   Andrew Cohen Hibernians FCMFBjorn KristensenHibernians FCMFClayton Failla Hibernians FCDFPaul Fenech Birkirkara FCMFLeighton GrechQormi FCMFEdward Herrera Birkirkara FCMFJohn MintoffSliema Wanderers FC MFGareth Sciberras Birkirkara FCMF   Michael Mifsud Melbourne Hearts FWAndre' Schembri Omonia NicosiaFWTerence Vella Birkirkara FCFW