‘We were not confident in the first half. We have put pressure on ourselves for nothing’, were the initial comments by Head Coach National Teams Devis Mangia following the match against Cyprus in Larnaca. He continued to say that the team complicated its life especially in the first part of the game and it should have played simple football.
'The second half was perfect, or at least better than the first one. We could have been more compact after the draw but we played better in the second half’ said Coach Mangia. Mr Mangia said he and his team are happy that they have reached the 5 point record of Dusan Fitzel however they are not focussed on points and numbers but on improving the performance of the team. Alas he still hopes to increase the numbers in the November window. ‘We can decide to focus on the result or on the performance. Had the game finished in the 93rd minute and not the 97th minute, then we might have a different opinion about the game,’ said Devis Mangia. Malta scored the second goal in the dying minutes of the game and managed to secure a point from this encounter. Cyprus opened the score after seven minutes. Zach Muscat scored the equaliser through a header. Ten minutes from time Sotiriou put the Cypriots ahead, Teddy Teuma earned Malta the merited point after he scored n the 97th minute. Mr Mangia explained that at times the players lack physical strength. He said that now the players know what they have to do and what to work on and that makes a lot of difference. If they increase the intensity in the games played in the domestic league then this would better their physical condition. However this is something that the players themselves individually have to work on, reiterated Devis Mangia. Devis Mangia humbly gave merit to his coaching staff for the preparation of set pieces. Both goals in the draw against Cyprus came from set pieces. Set pieces have to be practised and this continues to show the level of preparation this team has undergone. Two of the substitutions were forced. At first glance Steve Borg seems to be suffering from a muscular injury however Henry Bonello has been taken to hospital and first tests show that he fractured his ankle.