Late goals end Malta's hopes of a comeback

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY MATCH
12.10.2025
National Stadium, Ta’ Qali

MALTA…1
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA…4
(HT 0-1)

16’ Amar Memić (BIH), 53’ Haris Tabaković (BIH), 60’ Paul Mbong (MLT), 84’ Benjamin Tahirović (BIH), 86’ Nail Omerović (BIH)

Malta fell to a 4-1 defeat in an international friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday evening, despite producing a combative display, suffering two late goals to put the game out of the home side’s reach.

Prior to kick-off, a special ceremony was held to present Steve Borg and Frankie Ciantar with mementos, celebrating their outstanding contribution for the National Team. The match against Bosnia and Herzegovina marked Borg’s 82nd and final appearance in a National Team shirt, putting an end to a distinguished career playing for Malta. Ciantar, the National ‘A’ Team’s kit manager, reached 100 matches with the team during the match against the Netherlands earlier this week.

Malta started the game well, looking very comfortable on the ball in the opening stages and having most of the ball.

However, Bosnia and Herzegovina took the lead in the 16th minute, arguably against the run of play, when a through pass found Amar Memić, who struck a powerful shot past Henry Bonello to open the scoring.

The goal gave the away side more confidence going forward, and they started to offer more of a threat, even having a goal disallowed midway through the first half.

Malta had a golden opportunity to equalize in the 36th minute, when a curled cross from Teddy Teuma found Ilyas Chouaref at the back post, yet he failed to make a clean contact from the header, and his effort went well wide.

Despite their pressure on the Bosnian defence, Malta could not get an equalizer before the break, and the two sides went into half-time with the score 1-0.

Following the restart, the away side doubled their advantage, with Haris Tabaković getting on the end of a loose ball in the penalty area, firing a shot into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

Bosnia and Herzegovina looked to add to their lead only a few minutes later, when Tabaković was sent through on goal, but Bonello saved excellently with his feet to deny the away side.

Malta tried to respond, and in the 59th minute they came very close to halving the deficit, when a neatly worked move saw Chouaref pass towards Irvin Cardona, yet he was denied with a block from very close range.

However, Malta did get their goal just seconds after, when they were awarded a penalty after a foul in the penalty area. Paul Mbong stepped up to take the spot-kick, and he made no mistake.

Only minutes later, Malta could have drawn level, after a cross from Chouaref found Cardona, yet he could not direct his header towards goal.

Malta continued to press forward, yet that left gaps in defence towards the closing stages, and Bosnia and Herzegovina got their third goal to seal the victory in the 84th minute, when Benjamin Tahirović got on the end of a cross to make it 3-1. The away scored again just minutes later, when after consecutive saves from Bonello in quick succession, Nail Omerović hit a powerful strike that sailed into the net.

The match finished in a 4-1 defeat for Malta, despite battling with the away side from start to finish.

Malta
1 Henry Bonello (GK), 3 Ryan Camenzuli (21 Juan Corbalan, 46’), 4 Steve Borg (C) (5 Kurt Shaw, 1’), 6 Matthew Guillaumier (20 Brandon Paiber, 41’), 8 Paul Mbong (24 Basil Tuma, 90’), 9 Ilyas Chouaref, 10 Teddy Teuma, 11 Irvin Cardona, 13 Enrico Pepe, 22 Zach Muscat (7 Joseph Mbong, 90’), 23 Alexander Satariano (19 Jodi Jones, 61’)
Coach: Emilio De Leo

Bosnia and Herzegovina
22 Martin Zlomislić (GK), 3 Dennis Hadžikadunić, 5 Esmir Bajraktarević (20 Nail Omerović, 71’), 7 Amar Dedić (C) (6 Benjamin Tahirović, 46’), 9 Samed Baždar (8 Armin Gigović, 71’), 13 Ivan Bašić, 14 Ivan Šunjić (23 Luka Menalo, 46’), 15 Amar Memić (19 Kerim Alajbegović, 67’), 16 Adrian Leon Barišić (18 Nikola Katić, 71’), 17 Dzenis Burnić, 24 Haris Tabaković
Coach: Sergej Barbarez