Malta to prepare for Friendly against Liechtenstein

Following the Euro 2012 group matches which came to an end last autumn Malta’s national team will again charge their batteries when they resume training prior to the first friendly of the year against Liechtenstein at Ta’ Qali National Stadium on 29th February. This match, possibly followed by other preparatory ones, should be a prelude to our World Cup 2014 preliminary group campaign.   Until a new national team coach is appointed, Malta’s senior team for this upcoming match will be under caretaker manager Robert Gatt who is occupying the post of MFA Technical Director.   Gatt selected an 18-man squad built on home-based players. These will undergo regular training sessions which will resume on the 16th of January.  Prior to the start of this build-up, all those selected will be subjected to routine physical tests under the surveillance of physical trainer Luca Pagani. In this way their fitness levels can be gauged. The training programme includes training sessions every Monday and Tuesday. The foreign-based players selected for the Malta squad will be called up prior to this match.  The selected players are: GoalkeepersAndrew Hogg - Valletta FCHenry Bonello - Sliema Wanderers FC DefendersSteve Borg - Valletta FCRoderick Briffa - Valletta FCJonathan Caruana - Valletta FCEdward Herrera - Hibernians FCClayton Failla - Hibernians FCAlex Muscat - Sliema Wanderers FCZack Muscat – Pietà Hotspurs FC MidfieldersGareth Sciberras - Birkirkara FCRowen Muscat - Birkirkara FCShaun Bajada - Birkirkara FCEdmond Agius - Valletta FCDyson Falzon - Valletta FCRyan Fenech - Valletta FCBjorn Kristensen - Hibernians FC ForwardsMichael Mifsud - Valletta FCAndrew Cohen - Hibernians Meanwhile, training sessions for the other national teams, namely, U-21, U-19, U-17 and the Women’s national team, together with the Academy, will also start training on 16th January.