Malta women’s team win and draw against Dutch side

The Malta women’s team played two exhibition matches against visiting Dutch club SC’T GOOI FC last week. The friendlies, played at the MFA Training Grounds over the weekend, enabled the members of the national squad to get more playing time while giving coach Mark Gatt the opportunity to have a closer look at young and new players. The Maltese girls beat SC’T GOOI FC 4-2 in the first match and were held to a 1-1 draw in the second friendly. Captain Dorianne Theuma was on target in both matches as she got Malta’s second goal in the first outing and opened the scoring in last Sunday’s second match. Up-and-coming players Maria Farrugia and Roxanne Micallef also scored fine goals, their first in the national team’s shirt. Nicole Sciberras, currently plying her trade in Italy with Serie B side Grifone Gialloverde, also made her first appearances for the senior national side. Meanwhile, 2018 has started on a very encouraging note for the Malta women’s team as they climbed six places in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking. The 4-0 friendly wins over the United Arab Emirates last November have lifted Malta to 85th, the country’s best ever position in this FIFA classification. MATCH INFO05/01/2018 – MALTA vs SC’T GOOI FC 4-2Scorers: Maria Farrugia 18; Dorianne Theuma 25; Shona Zammit 32; Roxanne Micallef 35 (M); Sabrina Pufflijk 76, 84 (S). MALTA: Janice Xuereb (Jodie Attard 86), Gabriella Zahra (Mandy Debono 54), Stephania Farrugia, Dorianne Theuma ©, Maria Farrugia, Brenda Borg (Rebecca Bajada 65’), Roxanne Micallef (Raina Giusti 46), Nicole Sciberras (Kim Parnis 46), Shona Zammit (AnnMarie Said 80), Jade Flask (Charlene Cassia 73), Alishia Sultana. 07/01/2018 – MALTA vs SC’T GOOI FC 1-1Scorers: Dorianne Theuma 28’ pen (M), Emma Van Der Laan 63’ (S). MALTA: Jodie Attard, Gabriella Zahra, Stephania Farrugia, Dorianne Theuma©, Brenda Borg, Roxanne Micallef (Celeste Grech 46), Shona Zammit, Jade Flask, Alishia Sultana, Emma Xuereb (Claudette Xuereb 46), Ann Marie Said.