December 2003

Wed 31

• GFA Cup Zebbug R. vs St. Lawrence S. 1-0, Nadur Y. vs Xaghra U. 1-0
• Adrian Mifsud will extend his stay with Hibernians by signing a new two-year contract therefore squashing rumours he could move elsewhere. Mifsud had been linked with a move to at least another two clubs in the January transfer-window.
  Mifsud's previous contract expired in June and therefore the 29-year old striker, who had joined Hibernians from Rabat Ajax in December 1999, will stay with the Paolites until June 2006.
  This season Adrian Mifsud had to struggle to discover his usual form but bounced back in style in the Paolites' last Premier League outing when they defeated Valletta 4-2 with Mifsud scoring a hat-trick.
• Four Premier League players were suspended by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner on Wednesday.
  The worst hit was Ivan Woods of Pietą Hotspurs who was banned for two-matches. Woods was sent off in Pietą's 0-1 defeat to Marsaxlokk last Saturday. He will be missing the next two league games against Msida and Balzan.
  Pietą defender Edward Azzopardi was also suspended after collecting a fourth yellow card. He will therefore miss the game against Msida.
  Msida defender Josef Mifsud and Marsaxlokk midfielder Etienne Barbara were also suspended for one match after being sent off during the weekend. They will miss the next games against Pietą and Marsaxlokk respectively.
  In Division 1, Naxxar Lions will be without three players after they were handed a one-match ban. Paul Fenech, Paul Sixsmith and Gilbert Mock will miss the next game against San Gwann. Other players suspended in Division 1 were Senglea's Edon Bobolayefa and Mqabba's Mark Anthony Psaila. Tarxien team-manager John Vella was fined Lm 25.
  Andre Buttigieg of Gzira United was suspended one match in the Second & Third Division Knock-Out.
  Three youth players were also suspended for one match - Stephen Saliba of Zebbug, Nicholas Corrito of Gzira and Charles Axiaq of Kirkop.
• Saviour Baldacchino and Willie Montfort were elected general secretary and treasurer respectively of Hamrun Spartans following an extraordinary general meeting which was held on Monday.
  The club's official website, www.hamrunspartansfc.com, reports that three former presidents of the club - Victor Tedesco, Gaetano Debattista and David Farrugia Sacco - were present for the meeting which, according to club president Antoine Attard, is a clear sign that all are working hard to improve the club's situation.
  Meanwhile, Msida St. Joseph will be holding an extaordinary general meeting on Sunday at 09:30 at the club premises in Church Street, Msida.

Mon 29

• Belarus, Estonia and Moldova will be taking part in the twelfth edition of the Malta International Football Tournament which will be held between February 14 and 18.
  The tournament was earlier known as the Rothmans International Tournament but since sponsorship by tobacco companies is no longer allowed, the name had to be changed.
  Moldova took part in the last edition of the tournament which was held in 2002. On that occasion, Malta won 3-0 to claim the tournament. The two countries met in another two friendly matches with Moldova winning both matches - 2-0 at Ta' Qali in March 1999 and 1-0 in Chisinau in August 2000.
  Malta placed twice against Belarus. Following a 1-1 draw in Minsk, Malta lost 0-2 at Ta' Qali in the European Championship 1996 qualifiers. Against Estonia, Malta has a most positive record. In fact following a goalless draw at Ta' Qali in October 1992, Malta registered a 1-0 win in Tallinn in May 1993. Both matches were from the World Cup qualifiers.
  Moldova and Belarus were in the same group in the EURO 2004 qualifiers as they played in Group 3. They placed fourth and fifth respectively behind the Czech Republic, Holland and Austria. On the other hand, Estonia played in Group 8 placing fourth behind Bulgaria, Croatia and Belgium.

Sun 28

• Super 5 Sliema W. vs Valletta 0-0 (4-2 pen), Birkirkara vs Hibernians 2-4
• First Division Tarxien R. vs Mqabba 3-2, Naxxar L. vs Senglea A. 0-6, Lija A. vs Rabat A. 1-0
• Second & Third Division Knock-Out Vittoriosa S. vs Sta. Venera L. 0-3, Qormi vs Mellieha 1-2
• Gozo - First Division Xewkija T. vs Kercem A. 1-0, Ghajnsielem vs Nadur Y. 0-2

Sat 27

• Premier League Marsaxlokk vs Pietą H. 1-0, Msida SJ vs Hamrun S. 2-2
• Second & Third Division Knock-Out Gzira U. vs St. George's 1-1 (4-2 pen); Zebbug R. vs Dingli S. 1-0
• Gozo - Second Division St. Lawrence S. vs Oratory Y. 6-1

Wed 24

• Sliema Wanderers and Balzan Youths will be missing two players each when the MIA Premier League resumes in the first weekend of the new year after. Both sides had two players suspended for one match by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner.
  Sliema duo Jeffrey Chetctuti and Stefan Giglio were both suspended after collecting their fourth yellow card in their last game against Floriana. They will therefore miss the next league game against Hibernians on January 3.
  Balzan Youths had Alex Muscat and Michael Valenzia banned for one match also for a fourth yellow card. They will miss the game against Hamrun Spartans on January 4.
  Leaders Birkirkara will have to cope without Lucian Dronca as they face Floriana on January 3. Coach Stephen Azzopardi was fined Lm 25.
  In Division 1, James Briffa of Marsa and Andrew Decesare of San Gwann were suspended for one match after being sent off.
  Other players who were suspended for one match were: Edgar Degabriele (St. George's), Joseph Mizzi and Albert Bonnici (Vittoriosa), Shawn Bezzina (Zebbug), Louis Buhagiar (Attard), Matthew Cocks (Gzira). Siggiewi team manager Carmelo Bezzina was suspended till April 23.
  Five Youth players were also suspended for one match: Adrian Lanzon (Attard), John Paul Barbara (Birzebbuga), Christian Grech (Gudja) and Richard Attard (Sirens).
• The Malta FA Technical Centre will be organising a Goalkeepers' Course between the 8th and 11th January, 2004.
  The course, which will be held at the MFA Technical Centre, will be conducted by the well-known Italian goalkeeper and until recently the Goalkeepers' Head Coach of FC Internazionale, Luciano Castellini.
  Further information and conditions for attending the course may be obtained from Mr Nunzio Frendo, Adm. Manager, MFA Technical Centre, Ta' Qali RBT 13 (Tel. 21 411505, Fax 21 411091). All applications must be forwarded to and will be considered on a 'first come first served' basis.

Mon 22

• Super 5 Birkirkara vs Sliema W. 1-1 (6-7 pen), Hibernians vs Valletta 0-2
• The Malta Football Association announced new dates for the postponed matches from the MIA Premier League and the MIA First Division.
  The Premier League matches which were due to be held last Sunday at the Victor Tedesco Stadium will now be played on Saturday 27 at the Hibernians Ground: 12:45 Marsaxlokk vs Pieta Hotspurs; 14:45 Msida St. Joseph vs Hamrun Spartans
  The First Division match between Tarxien Rainbows and Mqabba which was due to be held at the Hibs Ground will be played on Sunday 28 at the Centenary Stadium, kick-off at 13:30.
  The Youth League matches, Msida St, Joseph vs Tarxien R. and Hamrun S. v St. Patrick scheduled for Saturday 27 have been postponed to a later date.

Sun 21

• Premier League Marsaxlokk vs Pietą H. and Msida SJ vs Hamrun S. postponed
• First Division Mosta vs San Gwann 5-1, Tarxien R. vs Mqabba postponed
• Second Division Zejtun C. vs Zebbug R. 1-2, Gzira U. vs Mellieha 2-1
• Third Division Sta. Venera L. vs Fgura U. 0-0, Ghaxaq vs Pembroke A. 0-1
• Women's League Birkirkara vs Hibernians 0-2, Mosta vs Raiders 1-1
• Gozo - First Division Zebbug R. vs Ghajnsielem 1-1, Victoria H. vs Sannat L. 3-2
• Matches from the MIA Premier League and the MIA First Division were victims of the bad weather that hit the islands over the past days as the three of the four games in programme on Sunday were called off.
  The rain rendered the pitch of the Victor Tedesco Stadium unsuitable to host the scheduled matches. Two Premier League matches were due to be played there: Marsaxlokk vs Pietą and Msida vs Hamrun.
  On the other hand, the second match in programme in the MIA First Division at the Hibernians Ground between Tarxien Rainbows and Mqabba was also postponed.

Sat 20

• Second Division Vittoriosa S. vs St. George's 0-0, Attard vs Dingli S. 3-2
• Gozo - Second Division Qala SJ vs Xaghra U. 1-2
• The Malta Football Association will be investigating two cases involving two Premier League players.
  The first case regards Nigerian striker Anthony Evi Parker who signed for Balzan Youths in November. This transfer was possible as the player has a status of an amateur player. However doubts were raised over how is the player earning his living considering that he is a foreigner and therefore cannot work elsewhere without a working permit.
  The association will also investigate the transfer of Ivan Casha from Hamrun Spartans to Marsaxlokk. It seems that the transfer fee which Marsaxlokk paid is not according to the parameters established by the association.

Fri 19

• Premier League Floriana vs Sliema W. 0-2, Valletta vs Hibernians 2-4
• The Malta Football Association rejected a request by Msida St. Joseph for the game between Msida St. Joseph and Hamrun Spartans to be held at a neutral venue for security reasons.
  In a statement, the committee of Msida St. Joseph expressed its disappointment that the Council of the Malta Football Association rejected their request.
  In a letter dated December 12, Msida had asked the association to consider its decision to stage the game at the Victor Tedesco Stadium next Sunday.
  Among the reasons mentioned were the historical rivalry between the two clubs coming from neighboring towns and the current position in the table. Msida claim that for such reasons, it was of utmost importance to stage the game at another venue.
  Msida say such decision will lead to unnecessary security problems for supporters besides conditioning the players who will be playing such a delicate game.

Thu 18

• First Division Marsa vs Naxxar L. 1-2, Rabat A. vs St. Patrick 1-3

Wed 17

• Premier League Balzan Y. vs Birkirkara 0-1

Tue 16

• Sliema Wanderers are asking the Malta Football Association to open its offices on New Year's Day so that they will be able to file the registration of Michael Mifsud.
  The January transfer window is due to open on January 1 but usually the MFA offices are open only on normal work-days, from Monday to Friday.
  This request is due to the fact that Sliema will be playing Hibernians on January 3 and a player will be eligible to play 48 hours after his registration documents are presented at the MFA offices.
  Michael Mifsud, who was released by Kaiserslautern last month, signed an 18-month contract with the Blues.
  Meanwhile another four players signed new contracts with the club. Ian Ciantar and Noel Turner signed a three-year contract while Carlo Mamo and Massimo Grima will be staying with the Wanderers till the end of the season.
• Despite a 0-4 defeat to Poland last Thursday, Malta climbed a place in the FIFA Rankings as published on Monday. Malta ends 129th, seven places down since December 2002.
  Among the other European countries, Malta lies in the 46th place, behind Lithuania (101), Moldova (106), Armenia (113), Azerbaijan (119), Northern Ireland (122), Faroe Islands (126) and ahead of Kazakhstan (136), Andorra (147), Liechtenstein (148), Luxembourg (153) and San Marino (162).
  This year Malta played seven international matches. After being held in a 2-2 draw by Kazakhstan in February at Ta' Qali, Malta suffered three defeats: 6-0 to France in Lens, 1-3 to Slovenia and 1-2 to Cyprus both at Ta' Qali. In August, Malta drew 1-1 with Luxembourg away from home and then claimed the only point in the EURO 2004 qualifiers, holding Israel in a 2-2 draw in Antalya, Turkey. Last Thursday, Malta lost 0-4 to Poland at Ta' Qali.
  Next year, Malta is due three international matches during the Malta International Football Tournament that will be held between February 14 and 18. Finland will visit the island for a friendly on March 31 while the locals travel to Germany for a friendly match on May 27. Another friendly match could be played in August before the World Cup qualifiers get underway.

Sun 14

• Brazilian midfielder Andre Rocha Da Silva was the only Premier League player to be suspended by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner on Wednesday. Da Silva will miss Friday's Old Firm derby against Sliema Wanderers.
  Other players to be suspended for one match were Lawrence Vella and Charles Gatt of Second Division side Gzira United. Dale Spiteri of St. Andrews received a two-match ban.
  In Division 3, Birzebbuga had two players suspended for one match: Jason Cachia and Jason Saliba.
  A number of playrs from the Youth League were also suspended for one match - Owen Bugeja (Senglea), Sean Galea (Fgura), Clayton Axisa (Attard), Jamie Scriha (Attard), Josef Parnis (Naxxar), Christ Anastasi (Pembroke), Joseph Gauci (Pembroke) and Justin Camilleri (Pembroke). Mark Brincat (Gzira) was suspended for two matches while Justin Galea (Gzira) was banned for six months.

Sun 14

• International Friendly Poland vs Lithuania 3-1
  After beating Malta on Thursday, Poland registered another win as they defeated Lithuania 3-1 in another friendly match at the National Stadium, Ta' Qali. This game brought to an end a one-week training camp which the Polish national team carried out in Malta.
  The Lithuanians took the lead after just five minutes thanks to Gediminas Butrimavicius but Gregorz Rasiak levelled the score for Poland three minutes later. The Polish forged ahead on 11 minutes with a goal courtesy of Sebastian Mila. Substitute Irineusz Jelen made it 3-1 five minutes in the second half.
  POLAND: Gregorz Szamotulski (46' Tomas Kuszczak), Marcin Adamski (46' Marcin Baszczynski), Jacek Kowalczyk (62' Michal Stasiak), Marcin Wasilewski, Arkadiusz Glowacki, Patryk Rachwal (46' Jaroslaw Bienuk), Piotr Piechniak (76' Lukasz Surma), Marcin Radzewicz (76' Lukasz Madej), Gregorz Rasiak (46' Irineusz Jelen), Sebastian Mila (62' Marcin Burkhardt), Adrian Sikora (46' Andrzej Niedzielan).
  LITHUANIA: Vitas Zutautas, Darius Sanajevas, Tomas Mikuckis (32' Edidijus Majus), Vidas Alunderis, Andrius Gedgaudas (73' Mantas Savenas), Tomas Zvirgzdauskas, Edgaras Cesnauskis, Gediminas Butrimavicius (64' Aurimas Kucys), Tomas Danilevicius, Tomas Tamosauskas (59' Andrius Velicka), Mindaugas Grigalevicius (46' Giedrius Barevicius).
  Referee: Joe Attard
  
• Premier League Hamrun S. vs Marsaxlokk 0-1, Balzan Y. vs Birkirkara postponed
• First Division Marsa vs Naxxar L. and Rabat A. vs St. Patrick postponed
• Second Division St. Andrews vs Zurrieq 0-3, Xghajra T. vs Gozo 0-3
• Third Division Melita vs Mgarr U. 3-1, Qormi vs Siggiewi 2-1
• Women's League Hibernians vs Raiders 4-0, Rabat A. vs Mosta 0-4
• Gozo - Second Division Qala SJ vs Gharb R. 3-0, SK Victoria W. vs Oratory Y. 2-2
• The second game in programme from the MIA Premier League between Balzan Youths and Birkirkara, due to be played at the Hibernians Ground, has been postponed.
  This match is now scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the Centenary Stadium, kick-off at 18:30.
  The MIA First Division matches that were scheduled to be played at the Victor Tedesco Stadium on Sunday have been postponed.
  The torrential rains which hit the island on Saturday rendered the pitch unable to stage these matches.
  The two matches - Marsa vs Naxxar Lions and Rabat Ajax vs St. Patrick - will now be played during on Thursday at the Centenary Stadium, kick-offs at 18:00 and 20:00 respectively.

Sat 13

• Premier League Pietą H. vs Valletta 3-3, Hibernians vs Floriana 2-4
• Second Division Dingli S. vs Gzira U. 0-2, Mellieha vs Zejtun C. 1-0
• Third Division Gudja U. vs Sta. Lucia 0-0, Birzebbuga SP vs Kirkop U. 0-1
• Gozo - First Division Kercem A. vs Zebbug R. 1-3, Nadur Y. vs Xewkija T. 4-4

Fri 12

• Poland plays its second international friendly match in four days as it faces Lithuania at the National Stadium, Ta' Qali. This game brings to an end a one-week training camp which the Polish national team carried out in Malta.
  This is the fifth time the two countries are facing each other in a friendly match with Poland winning three times out of four previous encounters which were all played in Poland. The most recent game was held in September 1997 when Poland won 2-0 in Olsztyn.
  In the EURO 2004 qualifiers, Poland placed third in Group 4 behind Sweden and Latvia. Lithuania, on the other hand, placed fourth in Group 5 behind Germany, Scotland and Iceland but was just four points behind second-placed Scotland.
  The players at Polish coach Pawel Janos' disposal are:
  goalkeepers Grzegorz Szamotulski, Tomasz Kuszczak (Hertha Berlin);
  defenders Marcin Baszczynski (Wisla Kraków), Arkadiusz Glowacki (Wisla Kraków), Jaroslaw Bieniuk (Amica Wronki), Marcin Adamski (Rapid Wien), Marcin Wasilewski (Wisla Plock), Jacek Kowalczyk (Dospel Katowice), Michal Stasiak (Widzew Lódz);
  midfielders Marcin Radzewicz (Odra Wodzislaw Sl.), Lukasz Madej (Lech Poznan), Lukasz Surma (Legia Warszawa), Piotr Piechniak (Groclin Grodzisk Wlkp.), Sebastian Mila (Groclin Grodzisk Wlkp.), Patryk Rachwal (Widzew Lódz), Marcin Burkhardt (Amica Wronki) and
  strikers Grzegorz Rasiak (Groclin Grodzisk Wlkp.), Andrzej Niedzielan (Groclin Grodzisk Wlkp.), Adrian Sikora (Gornik Zabrze), Ireneusz Jelen (Wisla Plock).
  The Lithuanian squad is made up of the following players:
  goalkeepers Gytis Padimanskas (FBK Kaunas), Vaidas Zutautas (Sviesa FC);
  defenders Rolandas Dziaukstas (Torpedo Metalurg FC), Vidas Aluneris (Vetra FC), Tomas Zvirzdauskas (Halmstads BK), Gediminas Paulauskas (Ekranas FC), Darius Sanajevas (FBK Kaunas), Imantas Zelmikas (FBK Kaunas), Nerijus Radzius (Chernomorec FC);
  midfielders Deividas Cesnauskis (Dinamo Moscow), Edgaras Cesnauskis (Dinamo Kiev), Tomas Tamosauskas (Dinamo Moscow), Mantas Savenas (Ekranas FC), Darius Maciulevikus (FBK Kaunas), Aurimas Kucys (Ekranas FC), Donatas Vencevicius (Marsaxlokk FC), Andrius Gedgaudas (FBK Kaunas) and
  forwards Ricardas Beniusis (FBK Kaunas), Mindaugas Grigalevicius (Zalgiris FC), Tomas Radzinevicius (Sudava FC), Tomas Danilevicius (Livorno FC), Robertas Poskus (Krylya Soyetov FC).
  Meanwhile the kick-off time, originally scheduled for 17:15, has been slightly changed. The game will now start at 17:10.
  Sunday's game between Lithuania and Poland will be controlled by referee Joe Attard, assisted by Ingmar Spiteri and Konrad Borg and fourth official Lorry Sammut.
• The draws of the 13th Birkirkara FC Youth Nursery Christmas Tournament were held at the nursery premises on Tuesday 9th December 2003.
  After an introductory speech from the Nursery's secretary Paul Debono, Chairman Henry Bray stated that it is a great honour for he Birkirkara FC Youth Nursery to organise its 13th Christmas Tournament. He emphasized the importance of fair play during these six days of the tournament. The tournament should be a football festival, delegates, parents and coaches should not exert extra pressure on the players. Henry Bray thanked the Birkirkara Local Council and Pepsi the sponsors of the tournament.
  YFA General Secretary Joe Micallef, in a short speech said that one of the YFA aims, is to help and encourage nursery's to promote football activities in Malta and also cooperation from the participating nurseries.
  The draw was attended by Alfred Cardona, Birkirkara FC delegate and also Jeffrey Mifsud Birkirkara FC Secretary.
  There are 12 teams that are going to partecipate in the Under 13 and 10 teams in the Under 11.
  The draws are as follows:
  Under 13
  Group A: Mosta FC, St. Andrews FC, Hamrun S.
  Group B: Msida St. Joseph, St. Patrick FC, Paola Hibs
  Group C: Naxxar L., Valletta FC, Sliema W.
  Group D: Sta. Venera, Pieta H., Birkirkara FC
  Under 11
  Group 1: Mosta FC, Sliema W., Naxxar L., Pieta H., Hamrun S.,
  Group 2: Msida St. Joseph, Paola Hibs, Birkirkara FC, St. Patrick, Floriana FC

Thu 11

• Two goals in three minutes early in the second paved the way for a comfortable 4-0 win for Poland in a friendly match at the National Stadium on Thursday.
  Malta was constantly on the receiving end during the first half but the defence managed to keep the visitors at bay. Ironically, during the second half, when the Maltese showed some more determination testing the opposing goalkeeper on a number of occasions, Poland scored four times without reply.
  Making their debut in this game was Malta's coaching tandem Horst Heese and Carmel Busuttil although for the former, this was a return on the bench after a twelve-year absence. On the other hand, there were six players making their debut.
  Birkirkara midfielder Roderick Briffa and Pietą duo Gareth Sciberras and Ivan Woods were included in the starting line-up while Antoine Zahra of Hibernians and Floriana duo Claude Mattocks and Ian Azzopardi were included as substitutes during the second half.
  Poland took the lead on 54 minutes when off a corner by Sebastian Mila from the left, Jaroslaw Bieniuk placed the ball at the back of the net with a fine header.
  Mila doubled the score three minutes later with a rising shot from the left when served by Niedzielan.
  Seven minutes from time, Marcin Radzewicz served Adrian Sikor from the right and the latter flicked the ball home past Mario Muscat from close range. But it was not over yet as Poland added another goal two minutes from time when Marcin Burkhardt took advantage of an erratic clearance by Mario Muscat scoring from a distance of over 30 metres.
  National coach Horst Heese thinks the defeat was too harsh on Malta but admitted the team was not tactically disciplined in the second half.
  Heese argued that although he needed a test match to rate the players in his squad, this match arrived a bit too early considering that the the squad had started training just four weeks ago.
  Heese continued by saying that his aim was to put new blood in the squad by including young players who have a future ahead of them. At this point, the aim was to try as much as possible.
  The national coach said that he was not satisfied with performance in first half. "Everything was alright as long as we were tactically disciplined. But when they thought we could win, we risked, leaving the flanks uncovered and suffered the goals. "
  "We played badly for 15 minutes but then created some nice moves and even created some chances which we could have turned in goals. We did not deserve such a result. The players gave their best. We tried to put in a number of youngsters and all did a good job."
  The German mentor singled out Claude Mattocks as a most creative player who played a very good game.
  Assistant coach Carmel Busuttil said he was satisfied with the performance of the six players who were making their debut.
  Speaking about the game, Busuttil said "When playing such a strong side we need to be careful. We needed tall players and that was why we included certain players. "
  Heese concluded, "We now know where we stand. Our real problem is that we are physically not strong enough. So we need to prepare better physically."
  Meanwhile Polish coach Pawel Janos said he was satisfied with the performance of his players. He said he was interested in giving his players a good test considering that the squad was made of several brand newcomers.
  Janos went on to say that this game and that against Lithuania on Sunday will help him have a clear idea about which players he will be selecting for the World Cup qualifiers next year.

Wed 10

• Malta national coach Horst Heese will be including three uncapped players in the starting line-up as Malta takes on Poland in a friendly international match against Poland at the National Stadium on Thursday.
  Birkirkara midfielder Roderick Briffa and Pietą duo Gareth Sciberras and Ivan Woods were in fact included in the line-up that was named by Heese on the eve of the game.
  In fact, Heese will start with Mario Muscat, David Carabott, Daniel Theuma, Jeffrey Chetcuti, Carlo Mamo, Noel Turner, Gilbert Agius, Roderick Briffa, Gareth Sciberras, Daniel Bogdanovic and Ivan Woods.
  Also at his disposal are Justin Haber, Ian Azzopardi, William Camenzuli, Claude Mattocks, George Mallia, Chucks Nwoko and Antoine Zahra. Haber, Azzopardi, Mattocks and Zahra could also make their debut this evening as the two coaches agreed to substitute up to six players.
  This will be the fourth clash between the two countries. Malta lost 0-2 in a World Cup qualifier in December 1980 at the Empire Stadium, losing 6-0 in Krakow. In a friendly match at the National Stadium in February 1999, Poland obtained a narrow 1-0 win.
• After a span of 12 years Malta's national team to face Poland will again be under the guidance of Horst Heese. He was appointed coach in October after Siegfried Held's term at the technical helm expired in September following Malta's 2-2 draw away with Israel in their final Euro 2004 group match in Antalya, Turkey.
  Heese was Malta's national team coach between February 1988 and May 1991, during which he was in charge of the team for 36 matches. The best results in European and World Cup matches during that period were the 1-1 draw away to Hungary in a World Cup qualifying match in 1989 and a narrow 1-0 defeat in Holland against the Dutch masters in a European Championship qualifying match in 1991.
  Other creditable results for Heese were Malta's two victories against Finland (2-0) and Tunisia (2-1) in the 1988 Rothmans International Tournament, another home draw against Hungary (2-2) in a World Cup qualifying match in 1988, a friendly 1-1 draw when Malta played hosts to Scotland earlier in the same year and a European Championship qualifying match against Finland at home in 1990 which ended 1-1.
  Heese left Malta after his term as a coach came to an end but his contact with Maltese football was maintained. He eventually returned to the island and was appointed MFA technical director with responsibilities for the further development of the game in Malta at all levels, a post he still holds.
  Thursday's friendly match against Poland will be former national team player Carmel Busuttil's baptism of fire as one of Malta's mentors, albeit as an assistant to Horst Heese.
  It was certainly a glittering playing career for Malta'a 'golden boy' who won 113 caps for his country and is the national team's top-scorer with 23 goals, a staggering feat particularly by Maltese standards. Busuttil was also joint-top European scorer in 1988 with 9 goals, at par with Protassov of Russia.
  For six consecutive seasons between 1988 and 1994 he played for KRC Genk, a Belgian top division team and captained the side for four years. Busuttil's prolific goal-scoring instincts helped him top his team's scoring list for three years. On the domestic front, he was the recipient of an endless list of individual and team honours both when he played for Rabat, his home town team, and Sliema Wanderers.
  In the year 2000 his prowess on the field of play was acknowledged by the State when he was awarded 'Gieh ir-Repubblika', an honour which capped his chequered playing career.
  That pedigree, together with his dedication to football coaching after he hung up his boots in 2001, must have been foremost in the minds of the Malta FA administrators when it came to appointing a successor to Held.
  The choice fell on Busuttil as Heese's right hand man with a view to taking the mantle of head coach after two years. That was well-greeted by the followers of the game in Malta.
• Seven Premier League players were handed a one-match ban by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner on Wednesday.
  The worst hit were Hamrun Spartans who had three players suspended. Neville Galea, Aaron Attard and Mauro Brincat will therefore miss the next league game against Marsaxlokk on Sunday.
  William Camenzuli of Birkirkara, Shawn Bajada of Floriana and Daniel Theuma of Valletta were suspended after collecting their fourth yellow card while Todor Giorgiev Simeonov of Valletta and Cleaven Frendo of Pietą received a red card last weekend.
  Theuma, Simeonov and Frendo will miss the clash between Valletta and Pietą. Bajada will be unavailable for Floriana in the game against Hibernians while Camenzuli will be lacking for Birkirkara in the game against Balzan.
  Giles Lanzon of Lija Athletic and Mqabba duo Marco Catania and Marlon Briffa were both suspended for one match in Division 1.
  Other players to be suspended were Robert Farrugia of Dingli, Antoine Muscat of Xghajra and Larry Lagana of Vittoriosa in Division 2; Malcolm Psaila of Luqa and Andre Cachia of Pembroke in Division 3. Xghajra team manager George Faure was fined Lm 25.
  Two youth players: Charles Vella and Chris Farrugia of Kirkop were suspended for one and two matches respectively. Kirkop coach Joseph Galea was suspended till April 9 2004.

Tue 9

• Malta national coach Horst Heese included seven uncapped players in his 18-man squad for next Thursday's friendly international match against Poland at the National Stadium. Justin Haber, Roderick Briffa, Ian Azzopardi, Claude Mattocks, Gareth Sciberras and Antoine Zahra have all been promoted from the Under-21 side while the almost-27-year old Ivan Woods earned a place in the national squad for the first time.
  All of these were part of the squad Horst Heese and Carmel Busuttil had named in October with the exception of one player who is still a member of the Under-21 squad. In fact, Pietą midfielder Gareth Sciberras, who is a key member of the U-21 side, was called to the senior squad for this game due to his impressive performances with the Hotspurs.
  Heese was forced to leave out Sliema midfielder Stefan Giglio as he is currently recovering from an injury. Saviour Darmanin and Cleaven Frendo of Pietą, Etienne Barbara of Marsaxlokk, Kevin Sammut and Jamie Pace of Sliema were also dropped from the provisional squad. Michael Mifsud was also left out of the squad since he has not played a competitive match for a number of weeks as he was suffering from an injury. Mansfield Town defender Luke Dimech is also missing from the squad.
  The 18 players selected by Heese are therefore:
  goalkeepers Justin Haber (Birkirkara) and Mario Muscat (Hibernians);
  defenders Ian Azzopardi (Floriana), Roderick Briffa and William Camenzuli (Birkirkara), David Carabott (Marsaxlokk), Jeffrey Chetcuti and Carlo Mamo (Sliema), Daniel Theuma (Valletta);
  midfielders Gilbert Agius (Valletta), George Mallia (Birkirkara), Claude Mattocks (Floriana), Gareth Sciberras (Pietą), Noel Turner (Sliema) and
  strikers Daniel Bogdanovic (Sliema), Chucks Nwoko (Birkirkara), Ivan Woods (Pietą) and Antoine Zahra (Hibernians).
  The Polish squad, which is currently on a one-week training camp at Ta' Qali, is made up of the following players:
  goalkeepers Grzegorz Szamotulski, Tomasz Kuszczak (Hertha Berlin);
  defenders Marcin Baszczynski (Wisla Kraków), Arkadiusz Glowacki (Wisla Kraków), Jaroslaw Bieniuk (Amica Wronki), Marcin Adamski (Rapid Wien), Marcin Wasilewski (Wisla Plock), Jacek Kowalczyk (Dospel Katowice), Michal Stasiak (Widzew Lódz);
  midfielders Marcin Radzewicz (Odra Wodzislaw Sl.), Lukasz Madej (Lech Poznan), Lukasz Surma (Legia Warszawa), Piotr Piechniak (Groclin Grodzisk Wlkp.), Sebastian Mila (Groclin Grodzisk Wlkp.), Patryk Rachwal (Widzew Lódz), Marcin Burkhardt (Amica Wronki) and
  strikers Grzegorz Rasiak (Groclin Grodzisk Wlkp.), Andrzej Niedzielan (Groclin Grodzisk Wlkp.), Adrian Sikora (Gornik Zabrze), Ireneusz Jelen (Wisla Plock).
  Thursday's game, which kicks-off at 17:00, will be controlled by Greek referee George Kasnaferis who will be assisted by Philip Agius, Joe Rapa and fourth official Adrian Casha.
• MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud will be running for the post of one of the members of the UEFA Executive Committee in the elections which will be held in April in Cyprus.
  His nomination was approved by the Executive Committee of the Malta Football Association in a meeting which was held on Monday.
  Dr Mifsud has been a member of the UEFA Executive Committee since 1994.

Mon 8

• Premier League Birkirkara vs Msida SJ 0-0, Valletta vs Floriana 2-1
• Second Division Zurrieq vs Attard 0-1, Zebbug R. vs Vittoriosa S. 0-1
• Third Division Pembroke A. vs Luqa SA 1-1, Ta' Xbiex vs Gharghur 1-1
• Preparation for the coming 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign will start on Thursday as Malta host Poland in the first of a number of friendly matches.
  Speaking during a press conference at the Centenary Hall, Ta' Qali, MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud said Malta was quite unlucky in the draw when it was grouped with Sweden, Croatia, Bulgaria, Iceland and Hungary. Three countries - Sweden, Croatia and Bulgaria - who reached the final stages of the European Championships in Portugal next June and two - Iceland and Hungary - who went close to making it to the play-offs.
  Dr Mifsud explained the importance of preparing well for these matches. The national squad has already been preparing for the past weeks but according to the MFA president, it was time for more serious preparation and the staging of friendly matches.
  Besides the game against Poland, Malta will be playing three matches in the Malta International Football Tournament (formerly known as the Rothmans International Tournament) which will be held in February. Malta will then host Finland on March 31st. This game has been scheduled due to the fact that two of the opponents in the World Cup qualifiers are Nordic countries.
  There is also the possibility of another friendly match which will be played in August. The Under-21 side will host Finland on March 30.
  Dr Mifsud revealed that officials and coaches of the six countries in Group 8 will be meeting in Malta to discuss the fixtures. This will be the second time such a meeting will be held in Malta.
  New national coach Horst Heese, assisted by Carmel Busuttil, should use next Thursday's game in order to assess the players in the squad.
  Heese said that after assuming the duties as national coach, he is now trying to get a more comprehensive impression of the players' capabilities and their performance in games. The German coach argued that this is the only way, he could assess players. This game should provide new players the occasion to impress. Other players who were not playing regularly will also have this opportunity.
  Heese announced that Michael Mifsud will not form part of the squad for this game since he has not been playing regularly for the past months and has just recovered from a long injury. Stefan Giglio is also in doubt after he missed the last game for Sliema due to an injury.
  Meanwhile the Polish squad arrived in Malta on Monday and will leave in a week's time. During their stay they will be playing another friendly match against Lithuania on Sunday, kick-off at 17:15.
  Malta vs Poland, which kicks-off at 17:00, will be controlled by Greek referee George Kasnaferis who will be assisted by Philip Agius, Joe Rapa and fourth official Adrian Casha. Sunday's game between Lithuania and Poland will be controlled by referee Joe Attard, assisted by Ingmar Spiteri and Konrad Borg and fourth official Lorry Sammut.

Sun 7

• Premier League Pietą H. vs Hamrun S. 4-0, Sliema W. vs Balzan Y. 4-2
• First Division Senglea A. vs Tarxien R. 2-3, Mqabba vs Lija A. 1-2
• Second Division Zejtun C. vs Dingli S. 0-1, St. George's vs Xghajra T. 1-0, Gozo vs St. Andrews 1-2
• Third Division Fgura U. vs Ghaxaq 0-1, Sirens vs Sta. Venera L. 0-5
• Women's League Mosta vs Hibernians 0-6, Melita vs Birkirkara 0-1
• Gozo - First Division Ghajnsielem vs Victoria H. 2-1

Sat 6

• Gozo - Second Division Xaghra U. vs St. Lawrence S. 2-0
• Nigerian midfielder Precious Onyeabor Monye will be joining Birkirkara in January after reaching an agreement with the Stripes. He will be signing a one-and-a-half year contract with Birkirkara. However a clause in the contract says that he will be allowed to leave Birkirkara in summer should another foreign club be interested in signing him.
  The Nigerian midfielder will replace Sunday Eboh as the third foreigner. The other foreigners ar Lucian Dronca and Haruna Doda.
  Monye gained considerable experience having played for some of the top clubs in Nigeria namely Enyimba, Udoji United, Stationery Stores and Sharks before playing with Fehervar 96 in Hungary, Cosenza in Italy, Ujpesti in Hungary, UT Arad in Romania and once again Videoton in Hungary. He was also on the books of Italian club Reggiana but never played for them. With Ujpesti, he won the Hungarian league.
  Precious Monye played seven times for the national team, making his debut as an 17-year old against Sudan in August 1992. He was also a member of the Under-16 national team in the 1989 World Championship and a member of the Under-20 team in the African Youth Championships.
  Meanwhile Birkirkara FC have launched a video-documentary about the history of the club. The video called "Mal-Milja taz-Zmien" was produced Claude and Victor Cassar.
  The two-hour video includes interviews with past and present players, officials and supporters. According to the producer, Claude Cassar, the video is meant to show the sacrifices a player makes in order to achieve success.
• Michael Mifsud is set to join Sliema Wanderers once again in January after a two-and-a-half year spell with Kaiserslautern in Germany.
  Although Marsaxlokk, and even Birkirkara, were reportedly interested in the player, the Malta international striker opted to rejoin his former club.
  A verbal agreement has already been reached with the club and a contract will be signed in the coming days. Mifsud is expected to sign until June 2005.
• The MFA Technical Centre will be organising another Instructional Meeting on Monday, 15th December 2003 for holders of 'A' and 'B', UEFA 'A' and UEFA 'B' licence coaches. This meeting will commence at 17:30 at Ta' Qali Training Grounds.
• The MFA Technical Centre will be holding a Club Coach Certificate course (CCC) at Ta' Qali Technical Complex between 8th January and 11th January 2004.
  Application forms are available during office hours from the Technical Centre, Ta' Qali, not later than Friday 2nd January 2004.
  A passport size photo and a photocopy of the YDD or Foundation Certificate are also required. Applications will be accepted on a 'first come first serve' basis.

Fri 5

• It will be a difficult World Cup campaign for Malta as Horst Heese's side was drawn in group of six teams with the other five teams having a higher ranking than Malta. Something which the newly-appointed national coach was hoping to avoid since a group of seven teams would have included a team with a ranking lower than that of Malta.
  Malta will be playing in Group 8 together with Hungary, Iceland, Bulgaria, Croatia and Sweden. Five countries against which Malta has already played on various occasions.
  HUNGARY: Malta faced Hungary six times - four of which in World Cup qualifiers. Malta held Hungary twice in the Italia 90 qualifiers - 2-2 at Ta' Qali and 1-1 in Budapest. Since then Malta played two friendly matches in 1997. Hungary won 4-1 at Ta' Qali and 3-0 in Budapest.
  ICELAND: Malta faced Iceland ten times - two times in World Cup qualifiers, another two in the European Championship, twice in the Rothmans Tournament and four times in friendly matches. Malta's record is definitely not a positive one as Malta only managed to beat Iceland twice - 2-1 in a European Championship qualifier in Messina in June 1982 and 1-0 in the Rothmans Tournament in February 1992. All the other matches ended in wins for Iceland, the last one being a 5-0 win in Reykjavik in July 2000.
  BULGARIA: Malta faced Bulgaria six times - twice in the World Cup qualifiers, twice in Euro qualifiers and twice in friendlies. Five defeats and a draw (0-0 in a friendly at Ta' Qali in 1982). In the last World Cup qualifiers, Bulgaria won 3-0 in Sofia and 2-0 at Ta' Qali.
  CROATIA: Malta face Croatia twice - in the European Championship qualifiers 2000. The Croats won 4-1 at the National Stadium in October 1998 and 2-1 in August 1999 in Zagreb.
  SWEDEN: Malta and Sweden met seven times - four times in World Cup qualifiers, twice in Euro qualifiers and once in a friendly. Sweden won all the seven matches. The last encounter between the two sides was two years ago in a friendly match at Ta' Qali which ended 0-3.
  Taking part in the draw were 198 states. In fact, a total of 197 associations, plus New Caledonia, have enrolled for the preliminary competition.
  The 52 members of UEFA are taking part with Germany qualifying automatically as hosts. Therefore there are 51 entries for the preliminary competition from which 13 teams will qualify for the finals.
  In the European qualifiers, there are eight groups - 3 groups of 7 teams and 5 groups of 6 teams. The 8 winners of each group and the 2 best second placed teams qualify directly. The other 6 second placed teams are drawn against each other for 3 play-off matches to determine the other 3 qualifiers.
  The complete European draw was as follows:
  Group 1: Czech Republic, Holland, Romania, Finland, Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra.
  Group 2: Turkey, Denmark, Greece, Ukraine, Georgia, Albania, Kazakhstan.
  Group 3: Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg.
  Group 4: France, Ireland, Switzerland, Israel, Cyprus, Faroe Islands.
  Group 5: Italy, Slovenia, Scotland, Norway, Belarus, Moldova.
  Group 6: England, Poland, Austria, Wales, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan.
  Group 7: Spain, Belgium, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, San Marino.
  Group 8: Sweden, Croatia, Bulgaria, Iceland, Hungary, MALTA.
• Hamrun Spartans goalkeeper Daniel Dengaky was voted the MIA Player of the Month for November.
  He played an excellent game for the Spartans in their 2-2 draw with Valletta.
  Dengaky joined Hamrun in December 2000 where he played first in a Rothmans Trophy match against Marsa.
  Before coming to Malta, he played for Mogas 90 Benin. With this club, he won the League Championship in 1998 and the National Cup in 1999 in Benin. His debut in the Top League in Congo was in 1995. In that year, he also played in the CAF Cup with Interclub (Congo).

Thu 4

• Holders Birkirkara were drawn to meet champions Sliema Wanderers in the semi-finals of the Super 5 Competition which will be held in a couple of weeks' time. Hibernians face Valletta in the other semi-final.
  Last season, the draws had again put the same teams against each other. Birkirkara had defeated Sliema 3-1 on penalties following a goalless draw. On the other hand, Hibernians managed to beat Valletta 8-7 after the penalty shoot-out following a 2-2 draw. In the final, Birkirkara beat Hibernians to the tune of four goals to one.
  The semi-finals will be played on Monday December 22 at the Centenary Stadium. The finals will be held at the National Stadium on Sunday 28.
  The draws for another three competitions were also held on Wednesday at the MFA Headquarters, Valletta.
  In the quarter-finals of the Second & Third Division Knock-Out, Vittoriosa Stars and Mellieha were drawn to meet Third Division sides Sta. Venera Lightnings and Qormi respectively. Second Division league challengers Gzira United and St. George's face each other while Zebbug Rangers take on Dingli Swallows.
  These four quarter-finals will be held on December 27 and 28 at the Centenary Stadium.
  The draws for the Youths Knock-Out competitions were as follows:
  Youth A Knock-Out: San Gwann/Zurrieq vs Qormi, Hibs/Hamrun vs Rabat, Siggiewi/Pietą vs Naxxar, Lija/Floriana vs Sta. Venera, St. Patrick vs Mosta, Mellieha vs Sliema, Birkirkara vs Valletta, Balzan vs Attard.
  Youth B Knock-Out: Dingli/St. George's vs Mgarr, Sirens/Senglea vs Tarxien, B'Bugia/Zejtun vs Msida, St. Andrews vs Gudja, Gzira vs Zebbug, Marsa vs Fgura, Melita vs Kirkop, Pembroke vs Marsaxlokk.
• The long and winding road to the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany finals begins on Friday at the Preliminary Draw in Frankfurt.
  Malta will be one of 198 states taking part of the competition. In fact, a total of 197 associations, plus New Caledonia, have enrolled for the preliminary competition.
  The 52 members of UEFA are taking part with Germany qualifying automatically as hosts. Therefore there are 51 entries for the preliminary competition from which 13 teams will qualify for the finals.
  In the qualifiers, there will be eight groups - 3 groups of 7 teams and 5 groups of 6 teams. The 8 winners of each group and the 2 best second placed teams qualify directly. The other 6 second placed teams are drawn against each other for 3 play-off matches to determine the other 3 qualifiers.
  The 51 countries were classified on the basis of their results in the qualifying competitions for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and EURO 2004. They were divided into 7 pots. Pots A to F contain 8 teams and pot G contains 3 teams. England, France, Italy and Spain will be drawn into 6-team groups due to the greater number of matches played as a result of having more domestic clubs involved in international club competitions.
  The teams were divided as follows:
  Pot A: France, Portugal, Sweden, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, England, Turkey.
  Pot B: Netherlands, Croatia, Belgium, Denmark, Russia, Ireland, Slovenia, Poland.
  Pot C: Bulgaria, Romania, Scotland, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland, Greece, Slovakia, Austria.
  Pot D: Ukraine, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Latvia, Wales.
  Pot E: Hungary, Georgia, Belarus, Cyprus, Estonia, Northern Ireland, Lithuania, Macedonia FYR.
  Pot F: Albania, Armenia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands, MALTA, San Marino, Liechtenstein.
  Pot G: Andorra, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan.
• Five Premier League players were handed a one-match ban after being sent off or after collecting a fourth yellow card during the weekend.
  The players are Kurt Farrugia of Valletta and Gaetan Spiteri of Hamrun Spartans who were sent off together with Manuel Boni of Msida St. Joseph, Carlo Mamo of Sliema Wanderers and Jaroslav Marx of Balzan Youths who received their fourth yellow card.
  Spiteri will miss the game against Pietą, Farrugia the clash with Floriana, Boni the game against Floriana while Mamo and Marx will miss the match between Sliema and Balzan.
  Other players to be suspended were Paul Buttigieg (Xghajra) and Darren Bellizzi (Zurrieq) from Division 2, Nigel Zerafa (Gharghur), Aaron Buhagiar (Qormi), Albert Caruana (Kirkop) from Division 3 together with Reuben Vella (Mellieha), Clayton Failla and Adrian Vella (St. Patrick) and George Farrugia (Ghaxaq) from the Youths League.

Wed 3

• The January transfer window is just a month away. A transfer window during which clubs will be doing their best to strengthen their sides. Among the players which will definitely join a new club are Michael Mifsud, who returned to Malta following a two-and-a-half year spell with Kaiserslautern, and Daniel Bogdanovic, who will be leaving Sliema after just five months.
  The most prized asset on the market is definitely Michael Mifsud. Sliema have an option on the player as they claim he was on loan in Germany. Since Mifsud claims he is a free agent, he was ready to listen for offers from other clubs. Marsaxlokk were the first club to make an offer for the player and they matched the player's request. On the other hand, Sliema president Robert Arrigo pointed out during a TV programme that "since Mifsud was on loan", he will be offered the same contract he had three years ago. The Sliema president went on to say that he is not willing to retain a player against his will. Therefore it is up to the player to decide for which club to sign next month.
  On one player, both Sliema and Marsaxlokk have already agreed. Malta international striker Daniel Bogdanovic will be joining the Southseasiders next month after failing to leave an impact with the Wanderers. Bogdanovic joins Marsaxlokk with immediate effect although he will be available only in January.
  Bogdanovic could not be the only player on his way out. Nenad Veselji could be on his way to join his former club Valletta. The Serbian-born striker was also mentioned as one of the trading baits as Sliema offered a number of players in order to lure Gilbert Agius from Valletta. Other players to be mentioned in this "deal" were Massimo Grima, Rupert Mangion, Kevin Sammut. But such a deal seems to be more of fantasy football as Valletta simply could not afford losing a symbol of the club like Agius.
  Another Valletta player, Ivan Zammit, was also attracting the interest of Marsaxlokk. However although he agreed terms with the club, he decided to stay with the Citizens until the end of the season. 'Is-Sei' will join Marsaxlokk in July.
  One player who will sign for Marsaxlokk in January is Hamrun Spartans goalkeeper Ivan Casha. Casha has been attracting the interest of Birkirkara for the past months but Hamrun's asking price was too high for the Stripes. Hamrun asked for Lm 20,000 but Birkirkara were ready to offer about Lm 12,000. Marsaxlokk, on the other hand, agreed on that fee. The arrival of Ivan Casha should mean the departure of one of the other two goalkeepers on the club's books - Reuben Debono and Maurizio Valastro. Debono, who joined Marsaxlokk last season from Birkirkara, has already been linked with a return to his former club.
  Another player who should join Marsaxlokk is Nigerian midfielder Minabo Asechemie. The Marsa midfielder was on president Victor Schriha's wish-list in summer but the former's failure to arrive in Malta before the final transfer deadline saw the deal fall through. The Southseasiders are now once again seriously interested in the player. Should he join Marsaxlokk, one player among Hari Borislavov and Donatas Vencevicius will have to be released with Nikolai Slavtchev being the only foreigner who is sure of retaining his place.
  Speaking of foreigners, leaders Birkirkara have on trial a Nigerian international - Precious Monye. A player who gained vast experience in Hungary and was also on the books of Reggiana and Cosenza in Italy for a short spell. The only problem is the salary requested by the player. If the two parties reach an agreement, he will replace Sunday Eboh who lost his place in the Stripes' starting line-up over the past matches.
  Hamrun players like Mauro Brincat and Roderick Bajada have been attracting the interest of other clubs. Bajada could end up playing with the Greens who had already made a formal request for the player in summer.

Mon 1

• A gym was officially inaugurated at the Balzan Youths club premises on Monday. The gym which will be serving the players of the Premier League side was inaugurated by Minister Dr Tonio Borg, club president Dr John Zammit Montebello and vice-presidents George Borg and Sandro Azzopardi.
  Dr John Zammit Montebello said that the official opening of the club gym was taking place after a wonderful month for the club. In fact after beating Valletta in the last week of October, Balzan registered another two important results as they held Floriana in a 2-2 draw and defeated Hibernians 1-0. They also reached the second round of the FA Trophy after beating First Division side Rabat Ajax.
  Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Dr Tonio Borg spoke about the importance of team-work in all aspects of life. He argued that sport teaches a person to cope with both victories and defeats in life. Dr Borg concluded by hoping the gym will serve as part of the campaign in favour of life in a drug-free environment promoted by the Balzan local council.
  Meanwhile club officials confirmed that Bulgarian midfielder Nikolai Filipov will definitely stay with the club although a number of clubs were reported to be interested in the player.