October 2002
Thu 31
- Super 5 Tournament Sliema W. vs Birkirkara 0-0 (1-3 pen)
Wed 30
- Three Premier League players were handed a one-match ban after being sent off or collecting a fourth yellow card during this weekend's matches.
Floriana goalkeeper Matthew Camilleri and Mosta defender Frank Ellul were both sent off in Saturday's clash between Floriana and Mosta which ended in a 3-1 for the latter. On the other hand, Pietà striker Jamie Pace received his fourth yellow card in the game against Hamrun.
Matthew Camilleri will be unavailable for the Greens when they meet Hamrun Spartans on November 24. Frank Ellul will miss Mosta's next league match against Valletta on November 10 while Jamie Pace is ruled out of Pietà' clash with Sliema next Sunday.
- Malta international defender Luke Dimech was in action for Shamrock Rovers this weekend as the Hoops contested the FAI Carlsberg Cup final.
Shamrock Rovers lost 0-1 to Derry City but still, Dimech had another great game in midfield going very close to putting his side ahead towards the end of the first half.
Meanwhile in Germany, Michael Mifsud was part of Kaiserslautern's 18-man squad that played against Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Kaiserlsautern, now under the guidance of Belgian coach Eric Gerets, lost 1-0.
- Floriana midfielder Etienne Barbara has been "suspended" from the Malta Under-21 national team of which he is a key member.
Barbara was sent home by MFA Technical Director Horst Heese last Wednesday following what the German considered to be a very harsh tackle on coach Mark Miller.
Following a short meeting between the two parties early this week, Barbara was informed that he was "suspended" temporarily from the squad. He will therefore miss the next competitive match against Cyprus in three weeks' time.
The first clash between Miller and Barbara goes back to the first week on September, when Barbara had abandoned a training session following a heated argument with Miller. However after a meeting between the two, the Floriana midfielder resumed training and was eventually named in the squad which travelled to Slovenia for the first UEFA U-21 Championship qualifier.
Tue 29
- Second Division Qormi vs Vittoriosa S. 2-2
- Third Division Zejtun C. vs Sta. Lucia 0-1
Sun 27
- Premier League Pieta H. vs Hamrun S. 1-1, Marsaxlokk vs Valletta 3-5
- First Division Rabat A. vs St. Patrick 1-0, Balzan Y. vs Gozo 1-1
- Second Division Attard vs Luqa SA 2-0, Mellieha vs Tarxien R. 0-4
- Third Division Ta' Xbiex vs Melita 0-4, Mgarr U. vs Sirens 1-3
- Women's League Mosta vs Hibernians 0-1, Birkirkara vs Melita 1-0
- Gozo - First Division Qala SJ vs Xewkija T. 2-2
- Gozo - Second Division Knock-Out SK Victoria W. vs St. Lawrence S. 3-3 (3-1 pen)
- Despite being included only as a substitute ten minutes from time, these were enough for Malta international midfielder to score and give Lokomotiv Sofia three important points in their struggle to climb further up the table in the Bulgarian Premier League.
Giglio notched the winner for Lokomotiv in the match against Botev Plovdiv, a game which the hosts dominated but were unable to break the deadlock until the Maltese midfielder.
So far Giglio, who is on loan from CSKA Sofia, played six matches out of nine, three of which as a substitute.
Sat 26
- Premier League Floriana vs Mosta 1-3, Sliema W. vs Marsa 3-1
- First Division Msida SJ vs Naxxar L. 4-1, Lija A. vs Senglea A. 0-2
- Second Division Zurrieq vs St. Andrews 0-2, Zebbug R. vs San Gwann 1-3
- Gozo - First Division Victoria H. vs Nadur Y. 1-3
- Gozo - Second Division Knock-Out Sannat L. vs Oratory Y. 3-0
Fri 25
- Premier League Birkirkara vs Hibernians 0-3
- Third Division Pembroke A. vs Birzebbuga SP 1-4, Gharghur vs Ghaxaq 1-3
Wed 23
- Second Division Vittoriosa S. vs Tarxien R. 1-1
- Following defeats to Israel and France, Malta lost another place in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking as published on Wednesday. Malta now lies in the 121st place.
Ahead of Malta are Azerbaijan, Barbados, Faroe Islands, Tahiti, Gabon, Swaziland, Guinea, Vietnam, Namibia and Singapore. Among the other European countries, Malta lies in the 48th place. Northern Ireland (98) is 41st, Lithuania (99) 42nd, followed by Armenia (102), Kazakhstan (109), Moldova (110), Azerbaijan (111) and the Faroe Islands (113). Behind Malta are Andorra (138), Liechtenstein (147), Luxembourg (148) and San Marino (159).
At the top of the rankings, there were no changes in the top five places with Brazil leading over France, Spain, Germany and Argentina. England move into joint-sixth place with Mexico, followed by Turkey, the Netherlands and the USA. Italy are out of the top 10 as they are currently eleventh.
Malta's next opponents are Cyprus on November 20 in Limassol. Cyprus are ranked number 84.
- Four players were handed a one-match ban by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner after being sent off or collecting their fourth yellow card.
Darren Debono, who was sent off for Valletta on Saturday after hitting Ivan Woods was suspended for just one match even if the Malta international defender assaulted the Pietà striker - an incident which almost sparked a free-for-all fight.
Beppe Pace of Valletta who received a red card in the same game was also suspended and will now miss the Citizens' next league game against Marsaxlokk.
Other players to be suspended after collecting a fourth yellow card were Sliema midfielder Joe Brincat and Floriana's Donovan Friggieri. Brincat will miss the game against Marsa while Friggieiri will be unavailable in the match against Mosta.
- Two Qormi FC committee members, Carmel Falzon and Joseph Spiteri, pleaded guilty to trying to bribe a Zebbug Rangers prior to the September 29 Second Division league match.
Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima condemned their behaviour as childish. On handing down judgment, she noted that Falzon and Spiteri had admitted the accusations, had cooperated with police and had clean criminal records. Both persons were given a one-year jail term suspended for four years.
Falzon and Spiteri are expected to resign from the committee.
Tue 22
- Second Division St. Andrews vs Mellieha 1-1, Dingli S. vs Attard 0-2
Mon 21
- Premier League Hibernians vs Sliema W. 2-0
- Third Division Sirens vs Gudja U. 1-0
- Former Malta international player Carmel Busuttil won the award for the Most Beloved Player of all times after collecting the largest number of votes from the sporting public in the first edition of the Westin Malta Football Awards 2001/02 which were organised for the first time in June 2002.
The presentation of the award was carried out by Westin Dragonara General Manager Renzo Correzuola for the management of the Westin which hosted the first edition of the Malta Football Awards. Mr Correzuola congratulated Busuttil for winning such a prestigious award. The presentation could not be held earlier since the former Rabat, Genk and Sliema striker was on holiday this summer.
The final Televoting result was announced just after the repeat of the TV transmission. Four players were nominated for this category with the other three being Salvinu Schembri, Tony Nicholl and Raymond Vella.
There were a total of 950 phone calls with Carmel Busuttil collecting 427 votes, Raymond Vella 209, Tony Nicholl 178 and Salvinu Schembri 136.
After the presentation, Carmel Busuttil thanked those who voted for him. He said that one reason for which he has become so popular was that he had played abroad and that being a striker, he scored several goals for the national team.
Meanwhile the organisers of the Malta Football Awards are on the look-out for more strategic partners and others who would like to help in the organisation of the awards. Interested parties should contact the organisers on mfawards@hotmail.com.
Sun 20
- Premier League Marsa vs Floriana 2-3, Hamrun S. vs Birkirkara 2-3
- First Division St. Patrick vs Xghajra T. 1-1, Senglea A. vs Gozo 1-0
- Second Division Tarxien R. vs Gzira U. 4-1
- Third Division Siggiewi vs Kirkop U. 4-5, Sta. Venera L. vs St. George's 2-4
- Women's League Rabat A. vs Birkirkara 0-3, Melita vs Raiders 2-0
- Gozo - First Division Xaghra U. vs Victoria H. 1-1
- Gozo - Second Division Knock-Out SK Victoria W. vs Kercem A. 2-0
- The teams representing Malta in the UEFA Regions Cup and the UEFA Under-17 Championship played their final matches from the respective mini-tournaments.
In Holland, the match between the amateur sides of Malta and Northern Ireland in the UEFA Regions Cup Group 7 ended in a 4-0 win for the Irish side. In the previous matches, Malta lost 1-2 to North (Netherlands) and 0-3 to Algarve (Portugal) with the latter scoring three goals within five minutes midway into the second half. North qualify from the group.
Malta's Under 17 national side suffered another 0-1 defeat to Northern Ireland in the last match from the UEFA Under-17 Championship Qualifying Round Group 9. Mark Miller's boys had lost the first match 0-8 to Sweden but then lost by just one goal against Denmark. Denmark scored the winning goal fifteen minutes from time.
- Michael Mifsud scored twice as Kaiserslautern Amateure registered a 2-0 win over FC Schweinfurt 05 in a match from the Regionalliga Süd. The Maltese international striker put his side ahead on 33 minutes and doubled the score one minute from the final whistle.
Kaiserslautern are currently 16th with 16 points from 14 matches. Also on 16 points are SV Wehen and FC Bayern Amateure who collected 16 points from 13 matches. Leading the table are Jahn Regensburg with 31 points.
In the eircom League in Ireland, Malta international defender Luke Dimech was again prominent for Shamrock Rovers as they managed to hold run-away leaders Bohemians in a 1-1 draw. A last minute penalty by Tony Grant gave the Hoops a precious draw.
Shamrock Rovers, unbeaten over the last four matches, are now sixth with 14 points from 11 matches. Bohemians lead the table with 30 points.
Meanwhile Stefan Giglio was not included for Lokomotiv Sofia as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Levski in the Bulgarian Premier League.
Sat 19
- Premier League Mosta vs Marsaxlokk 1-4, Valletta vs Pietà H. 0-1
- First Division Rabat A. vs Balzan Y. 1-3
- Gozo - First Division Nadur Y. vs Zebbug R. 4-1
- Gozo - Second Division Knock-Out Gharb R. vs Sannat L. 0-1
Fri 18
- Horst Heese's Malta Amateur side lost 3-0 in the second match from the UEFA Regions Cup Group 7 tournament which is being held in the Netherlands. Malta face the amateur team of Northern Ireland on Saturday in the final match.
Malta's Under 17 national side, under the guidance of Mark Miller who travelled to Denmark after guiding the U-21 side against France, recovered from Tuesday's heavy defeat to Sweden, losing by just one goal to hosts Denmark in the second game of the European Under 17 Championship 2002/2003 Qualifying Round - Group 9 mini-tournament.
Thu 17
- Former Malta international midfielder JJ Aquilina is the new coach of Premier League side Marsaxlokk. Aquilina replaces Albert Vella who quit his job after the southseasiders managed to win only one game in six matches.
Aquilina, who will be coaching a Premier League club for the first time, had started the season with First Division side Xghajra Tornadoes but resigned after his side suffered a 0-4 defeat to Rabat Ajax.
JJ Aquilina, who played with Sliema before moving to Floriana, where he spent most of his career, will be making his debut in the direct encounter with Mosta on Saturday.
- Cisk Export Premium Lager Beer has signed the second sponsorship deal with the Birkirkara Football Club for 2002/2003 season. The Chairman of Birkirkara FC, Victor Zammit gave details about the agreement during a press conference held today at the Infetti Training Grounds in Birkirkara.
He acknowledged the great financial assistance from sponsors to help towards the continued success of the club. Cisk Export will be one of the three main sponsors of the Premier club.
"We value our relationship with Cisk Export as well as all the other brands sponsoring our club. Such partnerships support our plans to grow and succeed," said Mr Zammit. Looking ahead, he said that this year the club has a full schedule. He praised the squad of players and augured that the team will achieve its objectives for this season.
Cisk Export Brand Executive, Ivan Filletti announced the launching of the Cisk Sales Kiosk, which will be set up at the stadium entrance for all Birkirkara FC matches. The kiosk will not only supply Cisk Export beer but will also sell the Birkirkara FC official merchandise. "Birkirkara FC has a great following, and we look forward to sharing the enthusiasm of the many supporters with our sponsorship. Furthermore, Premier B'Kara FC is a club that shares the ambition of Cisk Export Premium Lager Beer - a gold winner of the European Style Lager category in the World Beer Cup 2002," concluded Mr Filletti.
The Honorary Secretary & PRO of the Club, John Borg, carried out a presentation of a memento to Cisk Export representatives. The Secretary of Stripes Supporters Club, Jeffrey Mifsud highlighted the new initiatives being taken by the committee of the Supporters Club.
The Chairman of the new Birkirkara Marketing Board, Peter Busuttil announced the launching of a Voice Mail service in collaboration with Vodafone Malta Limited, following the huge success of the SMS Alert service carried out last year. The Club is also planning a new magazine called "Mhux biss Futbol" to be distributed free of charge to the general sports public during selected Premier League matches.
Wed 16
- EURO 2004 Malta vs France 0-4
- Malta suffered a narrow 1-2 defeat to the team representing the Netherlands in the opening match from the UEFA Regions Cup Group 7. Larry Lagana of Vittoriosa Stars scored Malta's only goal.
The team coming from the North of the Netherlands is hosting the mini-tournament in which another two teams - Algarve representing Portugal and the Northern Ireland amateur side - are taking part. Malta faces Algarve on Thursday and Northern Ireland on Saturday.
Malta's Under 17 national side suffered a heavy 0-8 defeat to Sweden in the opening match from the European Under 17 Championship 2002/2003 Qualifying Round - Group 9 mini-tournament which is being held in Denmark. The team is under the guidance of coach Edwin Camilleri.
Tue 15
- UEFA Under-21 Championship Malta vs France 0-3
- Despite a rather disappointing 0-2 defeat to Israel last Saturday, Malta
national coach Sigi Held is still confident the performance against France
could be a positive one.
Having no major injury or suspension worries, Held could field the best
formation possible against the European champions. No major changes from the
team which lost to Israel are expected. The only player who should make it
to the starting line-up is Lokomotiv Sofia midfielder Stefan Giglio.
The former Valletta midfielder, who missed the game against Israel as he
served a one-match suspension, is expected to be given the hard task of
marking Real Madrid star midfielder Zinedine Zidane.
Daniel Bogdanovic is another player who is being considered for a starting
berth. Against Israel, the team failed to take advantage of the chances
created. In fact after the game, Held had complained that the team cannot
afford to miss the few chances we create.
- Speaking during a press conference, French coach Jacques Santini said that there should be no changes from the team which
faced Slovenia although there the fitness of some players will be assessed
on match day.
Although their target is to retain the European title, first
of all, they have to qualify. "Matches are not easy and I think the Maltese
will be doing there very best on Wednesday.
He complained that the situation of the pitch at Ta' Qali could not favour
his players, "however our players will be doing their best to adapt
themselves to the pitch since it is not good such as that at Clairefontaine
and the Stade de France."
Speaking about which players from the Maltese team could possibly be
dangerous, the French coach said "the two strikers (Michael Mifsud and
Chucks Nwoko) could create problems for our defence although this is quite
capable of controlling them. Goalkeeper Mario Muscat is also going through a
very positive period."
Marcel Desailly said that in such matches you will never know how these turn
out mentioning a game against Andorra a few years ago which ended in a
narrow 1-0 win.
Comparing the performances of France with those of the past years, Desailly
said, "The team is now playing more collectively. We now play as a team as
much
as possible. We are taking it game per game and pressure is now much
lower than it was before."
"Only a win satisfies France. Actually playing good football is not that
important. The most important thing is winning points and qualifying."
- Maltese referee Lorry Sammut will be controlling the U-21 match between England and Macedonia. His assistants will be Gaetano Degabriele and Konrad Borg. Fourth official is Paul Caruana.
Mon 14
- The draws of the First Round of the FA Trophy were held on Monday at the MFA Headquarters, Valletta. Taking part in the draw were six clubs from the Premier League and ten from the First Division.
Floriana were drawn to meet Rabat Ajax while Pietà Hotspurs will be facing Lija Athletic, who were relegated from Division 1 at the end of last season. Gozo FC meet Mosta while Hamrun Spartans face promotion hopefuls Msida St. Joseph. St. Patrick meet Marsa while Marsaxlokk take on Senglea Athletic.
In the other two matches, teams from Division 1 face each other: Balzan Youths vs Mqabba and Xghajra Tornadoes vs Naxxar Lions.
Unlike recent years, first round matches will be played during the month of November. All the eight games will be played on four consecutive Saturdays - 2, 9, 16 and 23 November - at the Centenary Stadium.
- Champions Hibernians were drawn to face Valletta in the semi-finals of the Super 5 Competition which brings together the four teams placing first to fourth in the previous Premier League campaign. In the other semi-final, holders and current league leaders Sliema Wanderers face Birkirkara. The draws were held on Monday at the MFA Headquarters, Valletta.
The semi-finals of the Super 5 Competition will be played on Thursday October 31 and Friday November 1. The final for the third and fourth place will be played on Wedneday November 6 while the final is scheduled for Thursday 7. All matches will be played at the Centenary Stadium.
This is the first time the competition will be held in this period of the year. The Super 5 Competition was originally a pre-season tournament but was then moved to the end of the year as the close season to avoid clash of fixtures with the teams taking part in UEFA competitions.
- French coach Jacques Santini warned the trip to Malta would not be without its difficulties despite the excellent display against Slovenia at the Stade de France on Saturday. Santini is worried the condition of the pitch at Ta' Qali could not be at its best.
Speaking after the 5-0 win over Slovenia, Santini said "The pitch won't be the same (as the Stade de France) because the under-21s will have played there the day before and it has been raining."
The Blues were in excellent form on Saturday. Patrick Vieira gave France the lead after 10 minutes before Fulham's Steve Marlet notched a double on 35 and 66 miutes. Sylvan Wiltord made it 4-0 on 79' with Sidney Govou scoring the fifth goal three minutes from time.
But still, Vieira said "The match was not that easy, but we made it easy as we scored two goals in the first half. It was important for us to do well in front of our public and show them that we are still good. Now we must confirm this result in Malta."
Meanwhile Arsenal striker Thierry Henry missed post-match training after taking a knock on the ankle on Saturday. Henry said "I caught myself on the right ankle. But I think I'll be fine to face Malta. I was able to play the whole match against Slovenia - so that's proof it's not a bad problem," explained Henry.
The French squad arrives in Malta on Monday.
- Under 21 coach Mark Miller has the full squad at his disposal with no injury worries as Malta takes on France in a match from the UEFA Under-21 Championship Group 1 on Tuesday, kick-off at 19:30.
Miller is not expected to make much changes from the team which was rather unlucky to lose 0-1 to Israel on Friday. Two players who could make it to the starting line-up are Brandon Zammit and Antoine Zahra. Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza of Floriana could also make it to the 18-man squad. The forward line indeed needs to be strengthened considering that there was hardly any shot at goal in the game against Israel.
France are coming from two 1-0 wins over Cyprus in Limassol and Slovenia at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied de Clermont-Ferrand last Friday. The scorer against Slovenia was Florent Sinama-Pongolle. After this game, the French lost Patrice Evra of Monaco injured.
After the game against Slovenia, coach Raymond Domenech said he is concentrating more on having his players getting used to playing with each other, no matter who is their opposition. Two of the key players for "les Bleuets", Bernard Mendy and Grégory Lacombe agreed that their main target should be that of trying to beat the compact Maltese defense, being careful not to let the Maltese be dangerous on counter-attacks.
The French side is the current vice-European Champions. In the final of the UEFA Under-21 Championship last May, they lost 1-3 to the Czech Republic after the penalty shoot-out.
The French squad is made up of:
goalkeepers Nicolas Penneteau (Bastia) and Nicolas Puydebois (Lyon);
defenders Philippe Billy (Lecce), Mathieu Delpierre (Lille), Bernard Mendy (Bolton), Gaël Givet (Monaco), Sylvain Monsoreau (Sochaux), Steven Pelé (Le Mans);
midfielders Mathieu Bodmer (Caen), Benoît Cheyrou (Lille), Alou Diarra (Le Havre), Grégory Lacombe (Ajaccio), Anthony Le Tallec (Le Havre), Jérémy Mathieu (Sochaux), Sébastien Roudet (Châteauroux) and;
forwards Lionel Mathis (Auxerre), Habib Bamogo (Montpellier), Hervé Bugnet (Châteauroux) and Florent Sinama-Pongolle (Le Havre).
The French side will have a last training session on Tuesday morning at the MFA Training Grounds at 10:00.
The officials for the game will be from the FA of Yugoslavia - referee Dejan Stanisic, assistent referees Zeljko Radulovic and Dragan Zivanovic and fourth official Darko Stojanovic.
Sun 13
- First Division St. Patrick vs Senglea A. 0-1
- Second Division Attard vs Qormi 2-1
- Third Division Ghaxaq vs Mgarr U. 0-1, Fgura U. vs Ta' Xbiex 1-0
- Gozo - Second Division Oratory Y. vs Gharb R. 2-4
- Premier League wooden-spoonists Marsaxlokk are searching for a new coach as Albert Vella handed in his resignation.
Despite an intensive transfer campaign, the First Division champions managed to win only one game in six matches.
Albert Vella handed on his resignation after the defeat to Floriana in their last outing. It seems that the club has asked the veteran coach, who had replaced Michael Degiorgio early last season, to reconsider his decision. However Vella stood by his position.
Marsaxlokk are now searching for an experienced coach who could take over the club. Until a new coach is found, Vella will keep on training the squad.
- The Malta Football Association will be organising an entertainment programme with the particiaption of top singer Fabrizio Faniello and popular local band Scream Daisy prior to the important EURO 2004 Qualification Match between Malta and France at the National Stadium, Ta' Qali on Wednesday.
The programme, which will be compered by well-known TV personalities DJ Gianni and Peter Busuttil, will commence one hour before the kick-off of the match at around 19:45
- The Under 17 national side under the guidance of coach Mark Miller, assisted by Edwin Camilleri, left Malta on Sunday destination Billund, Denmark where the team will be taking part in the European Under 17 Championship 2002/2003 Qualifying Round - Group 9 mini-tournament which will be held between October 15 and 19.
Malta will be facing Sweden on Tuesday, hosts Denmark on Thursday and Northern Ireland on Saturday.
The squad is made-up of the following players:
goalkeepers Kyle Micallef (Melita) and Miguel Montfort (Valletta);
defenders Brandon Bonnici (Valletta), Stephen Borda, Malcolm Buttigieg, Kurt Formosa and Andre Schembri (all Hibernians);
midfielders Steven Dimech (St. Patrick), Karl Ebejer (Floriana), Dyson Falzon (Mosta), Paul Fenech (Naxxar), Kurt Magro (Valletta), Kenneth Spiteri and Julian Vella (Hibernians), Roderick Zammit (Pietà) and
forwards Angus Buhagiar (Floriana), Jonathan Caruana (Hibernians) and Clayton Failla (St. Patrick).
Sat 12
- EURO 2004 Malta vs Israel 0-2
- Gozo - First Division Victoria H. vs Xewkija T. 3-2 abandoned after 90 mins
- Gozo - Second Division Kercem A. vs Sannat L. 4-5
Fri 11
- Joe Brincat is expected to make the hundredth national team appearance as Malta hosts Israel on Saturday, kick-off at 19:00. Brincat will therefore become the third Maltese player to join the prestigious Century Club. The other two are Carmel Busuttil who played 113 and David Carabott who played 108.
The former Hamrun, Floriana and Birkirkara midfielder, who joined Sliema Wanderers this season, made his national team debut in a friendly match in October 1997 against England B. He has been longing to play the 100th game since last February but he was unlucky to miss the last four games against Andorra in March, Azerbaijan in April, Macedonia in August and Slovenia in September through injuries.
National coach Sigi Held is expected to make two changes from the team which lost 3-0 to Slovenia last month. George Mallia and the suspended Stefan Giglio are replaced by Daniel Theuma and Joe Brincat. Mario Muscat and Darren Debono have recovered from injuries and will start the game.
The team will be: Mario Muscat, Brian Said, Darren Debono, Luke Dimech, Daniel Theuma, David Carabott, Jeffrey Chetcuti, Joe Brincat, Gilbert Agius, Michael Mifsud, Chucks Nwoko.
Also at Held's disposal are Saviour Darmanin, Ian Ciantar, William Camenzuli, George Mallia, Noel Turner, Miguel Mifsud, Daniel Bogdanovic and Adrian Mifsud.
Although the two countries have never faced each other in competitive matches at senior level, this will be the fifth clash between Malta and Israel. The four matches were friendlies with Israel winning three and another one ending in a draw.
The officials for the game are referee Sergey Shebek, assistant referees Taras Klym and Viktor Suslo and fourth official Andrij Shandor, all from the FA of Ukraine.
- UEFA Under 21 Championship Malta vs Israel 0-1
Thu 10
- Pietà defender Gareth Sciberras and Birkirkara midfielder Roderick Briffa are expected to be named in the starting line-up as Malta hosts Israel in a match from the qualifying round of the UEFA Under 21 Championship at Ta' Qali on Friday, kick-off at 18:00.
Sciberras had missed the game against Slovenia last month, which Malta lost 1-0, as he was suffering from an injury. On the other hand, Roderick Briffa was not part of the squad.
The startine line-up should be:
Justin Haber (Birkirkara), Clint Micallef (Birkirkara), Clifton Ciantar (Floriana), Ian Azzopardi (Floriana), Shaun Tellus (Sliema), Etienne Barbara (Floriana), Kevin Sammut (Sliema), Jonathan Bondin (Valletta), Gareth Sciberras (Pietà), Andrew Cohen, Roderick Briffa (Birkirkara).
Also at Miller's disposal are Omar Borg (Msida), Kurt Farrugia (Marsaxlokk), Shaun Bajada (Floriana), Roderick Bajada (Hamrun), Christian Cassar (Floriana), Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Trevor Cilia (Floriana) and Antoine Zahra (Hibernians), Brandon Zammit (Marsaxlokk).
The officials for the game are from the Bulgarian FA. The referee is Kostadin Kostadinov; assistant referees Krassimir Kerezov and Nedelcho Chakrov and fourth official Dimitar Kostov.
- In naming the final squad for the two EURO 2004 qualifiers against Israel on Saturday and France on Wednesday, Malta national coach Sigi Held dropped three players from the provisional squad he had named on Monday.
Jonathan Holland, who is suffering from a slight injury, together with Malcolm Licari and David Camilleri were not included. On the other hand, Darren Debono made it to the final squad after undergoing a fitness test. Stefan Giglio, who is unavailable for the match against Israel as he serves a one-match ban, is also part of the Maltese squad.
Joe Brincat of Sliema Wanderers is part of the squad and is expected to play the 100th match for the national team and therefore join the prestigious Century Club. Brincat missed the last four games against Andorra in March, Azerbaijan in April, Macedonia in August and Slovenia in September.
He will therefore become the third Maltese player with 100 or more national team caps. The other two are Carmel Busuttil who played 113 and David Carabott who played 108. Carabott is part of the squad and is expected to add more caps to his tally.
The players selected by Held are:
goalkeepers Saviour Darmanin (Pietà) and Mario Muscat (Hibs);
defenders David Carabott (Valletta), Jeffrey Chetcuti and Ian Ciantar (Sliema), Darren Debono (Valletta), Luke Dimech (Shamrock Rovers), Brian Said (Sliema) and Daniel Theuma (Valletta);
midfielders Gilbert Agius (Valletta), Joe Brincat (Sliema), William Camenzuli (Birkirkara), George Mallia (Birkirkara), Noel Turner (Sliema), Miguel Mifsud (Hibernians) and
forwards Daniel Bogdanovic (Valletta), Michael Mifsud (Kaiserslautern), Adrian Mifsud (Hibernians) and Chucks Nwoko (Birkirkara).
- The Israeli contingent made up of the players of the senior and Under 21 squads arrived in Malta on Thursday in view of Friday's Under 21 clash and the EURO 2004 qualifier on Saturday, both matches to be held at National Stadium, Ta' Qali.
Police is taking special security measures for these two games. The hotel where the Israeli squads are staying is being surrounded by SAG officers on a 24-hour basis. When the squads travel to Ta' Qali for training sessions, they are being escorted by police as well.
It is understood that searches will be carried out on spectators on their entrance to the two games.
The senior squad is made up of:
goalkeepers Dudu Awat (Maccabi Haifa), Liran Strauber (Maccabi Tel Aviv);
defenders Arik Benado, Adoram Keisi and Avishai Zano (Maccabi Haifa), Gadi Brumer and Avi Strul (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Assi Domb and Yigal Antebi (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Ilan Bachar (Santander);
midfielders Walid Badir and Michael Zandberg (Maccabi Haifa), Avi Nimni and Tal Banin (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Yossi Abuksis and Omri Afek (Hapoel), Eyal Berkovic (Manchester City), Haim Revivo (Fenerbahce), Idan Tal (Vallecano) and
strikers Kfir Udi and Pini Balili (Hapoel Tel Aviv).
- Third Division Birzebbuga SP vs Gharghur 1-0, Melita vs Pembroke A. 2-0
No less than nine players were booked and another three dismissed during the derby in the Third Division between Melita and Pembroke on Thursday.
After that Nicholas Aquilina and Christian Glass were sent off for Pembroke and Melita respectively towards the end of the first half, Melita took the lead on 55 minutes thanks to Simon Borg. The Amateurs doubled the score on 63 minutes with a goal by Matthew Borg and five minutes later, they were reduced to nine men when Simon Barberi was sent off for kicking an opponent.
But that was not all as Pembroke coach Ronnie Cocks was sent off by referee Kevin Farrugia, apparently for using vulgar language ten minutes from time. Incidents followed the final whistle with a Melita player reportedly provoking the opponents' supporters. The same player was attacked by an official and a player of Pembroke.
- Four Premier League players were handed one-match bans after being sent off during the weekend.
Valletta defenders Ivan Zammit and Rennie Forace who were both sent off in the game against Birkirkara will now miss the Citizens' next game against Pietà Hotspurs.
Alan Tabone of Birkirkara who was also sent off during the same game will be unavailable for the Stripes in the game against Hamrun Spartans.
On the other hand, Minabo Asechemie, who was dismissed in the match against Hibernians on Sunday, will be serving the suspension in the game against Floriana.
Wed 9
- MFA Technical Director Horst Heese named the squad which will represent Malta in the UEFA Regions Cup Qualifying Group 1 which will be held in the Netherlands.
The squad is made up of players coming from Divisions 1, 2 and 3. Only amateur players are eligible to take part in the Regions Cup.
Malta will be playing in a group with Northern Ireland, Portugal and hosts Holland. Malta plays the first game against Holland on Tuesday 15, then faces Portugal on Thursday 17 and finally Northern Ireland on Saturday 19.
The players selected by Heese are:
goalkeepers Brian Bonello (Gzira); Kristian Calleja (Lija);
defenders Melvin Agius (Sta. Lucia), Justin Camilleri (Vittoriosa), Gordon Chetcuti (Sirens), Clive Formosa (Birzebbuga), Mark Anthony Psaila (San Gwann);
midfielders Robert Adami and Larry Lagana (Vittoriosa), David Busuttil (St. Andrews), Paul Camilleri (Birzebbuga), Craig Green (Birzebbuga), Ivan Zammit (Msida) and
forwards Adrian Galea (Mellieha), Donald Gatt (Msida), John Paul Muscat (Mqabba), Jonathan Sapiano (Dingli), Darren Micallef (Mqabba).
This will be the third time Malta takes part in the UEFA Regions Cup. In the first edition, the Malta Football Association was represented by a selection from Gozo. Two years ago, a Maltese amateur team hosted the tournament losing to teams from Abruzzo - Italy and Dalmatia - Croatia.
The squad leaves Malta on Sunday 13, destination Amsterdam and returns back on Sunday 20. Referee Marco Borg will also travel with the squad where he will control matches from the tournament.
- The arrival of Luke Dimech seemed to have brought luck to Shamrock Rovers as they have now climbed out of relegation zone and are currently eighth after ten matches, just five points behind second-placed Cork City.
Since his arrival in Dublin, the Hoops drew 0-0 with Shelbourne, lost 2-3 to Cork City and registered 2-1 wins over Bray Wanderers and St. Patricks Athletic. They also managed to defeat runaway League leaders Bohemians 2-0 in the semi-final of the FAI Cup. In the final they will face Derry City.
After fracturing his nose and undergoing an operation, Michael Mifsud has resumed playing for Kaiserslautern. New Reds coach Eric Gerets included Mifsud as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat to 1. FC Nürnberg in the Bundesliga. In a match from the Regionalliga Sud, the Maltese striker returned for the Kaiserlautern Amateurs in their 3-0 win over Borussia Neunkirchen. The Amateurs are currently 15th out of 19 teams.
On the other hand, the senior side is still second from bottom in the Bundesliga.
Former Valletta midfielder Stefan Giglio was back for Lokomotiv Sofia on Friday as they drew 0-0 with Slavia Sofia. Giglio, who is currently on loan from CSKA Sofia, was included as a substitute seven minutes from time. This was his first appearance after missing the last three games.
Lokomotiv are currently 9th with 9 points from 8 matches. CSKA lead the table with maximum points from 8 matches.
- Gozo - First Division Ghajnsielem vs Qala SJ 6-1
Tue 8
- Israel coach Avraham Grant has named a provisional 24-man squad for Saturday's EURO 2004 qualifier against Malta at Ta' Qali.
No less than six players each from the teams of Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv are part of the squad. Grant will drop four players from the squad before the team leaves for Malta on Thursday.
Grant has put his faith in his foreign legion with Manchester City's Eyal Berkovic, Haim Revivo of Fenerbahçe, Avi Tikva of Young Boys, Rayo Vallecano's Idan Tal and Santander duo Yossi Benayoun and Ilan Bachar all part of the squad.
The only newcomer in the squad is 28-year-old defender Yigal Antebi. The seal-of-approval for his selection arrived only after the player has promised to volunteer for reserve duty or community service after failing to serve in the Israeli army at the age of 18.
Players in Israel should have served in the Israeli army in order to become eligible for national team selection.
The squad is made up of:
goalkeepers Dudu Awat (Maccabi Haifa), Liran Strauber (Maccabi Tel Aviv);
defenders Arik Benado, Adoram Keisi and Avishai Zano (Maccabi Haifa), Gadi Brumer and Avi Strul (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Assi Domb and Yigal Antebi (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Abed Rabah (Hapoel Petah Tikva), Ilan Bachar (Santander);
midfielders Walid Badir and Michael Zandberg (Maccabi Haifa), Avi Nimni and Tal Banin (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Yossi Abuksis and Omri Afek (Hapoel), Eyal Berkovic (Manchester City), Haim Revivo (Fenerbahce), Idan Tal (Vallecano), Yossi Benayoun (Santander) and
strikers Kfir Udi and Pini Balili (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Avi Tikva (Young Boys Berne).
- Malta national coach Sigi Held named a 22-man squad for the EURO 2004 qualifier against Israel on Saturday.
Back in the Maltese squad is Joe Brincat of Sliema Wanderers who should finally be available to play the 100th match for the national team and therefore join the prestigious Century Club. Brincat missed the last four games against Andorra in March, Azerbaijan in April, Macedonia in August and Slovenia in September.
He will therefore become the third Maltese player with 100 or more national team caps. The other two are Carmel Busuttil who played 113 and David Carabott who played 108. Carabott is part of the squad and is expected to add more caps to his tally.
The Malta coach dropped defender Carlo Mamo of Sliema and Stefan Giglio of Lokomotiv Sofia. The former Valletta midfielder is serving a one-match suspension as he was sent off in stoppage time in the game against Slovenia. Giglio should return in the squad for the game against France.
The only surprise choice in the squad is the inclusion of Miguel Mifsud of Hibernians. Mifsud has been playing on-and-off for the past few months due to a nagging groin injury.
The players selected by Held are:
goalkeepers Saviour Darmanin (Pietà) and Mario Muscat (Hibs);
defenders David Carabott (Valletta), Jeffrey Chetcuti and Ian Ciantar (Sliema), Darren Debono (Valletta), Luke Dimech (Shamrock Rovers), Brian Said (Sliema) and Daniel Theuma (Valletta);
midfielders Gilbert Agius (Valletta), Joe Brincat (Sliema), William Camenzuli (Birkirkara), David Camilleri (Sliema), Jonathan Holland (Floriana), George Mallia (Birkirkara), Noel Turner (Sliema) and
forwards Daniel Bogdanovic (Valletta), Malcolm Licari (Pietà), Michael Mifsud (Kaiserslautern), Miguel Mifsud (Hibernians), Adrian Mifsud (Hibernians) and Chucks Nwoko (Birkirkara).
- Malta Under 21 coach Mark Miller named the squad which will be facing Israel in next Friday's UEFA Under 21 Championship qualifier at the National Stadium.
The squad includes four players who did not form part of the Maltese squad which travelled to Slovenia for the first match. Goalkeeper Omar Borg of Msida, defender Gareth Sciberras of Pietà, Birkirkara midfielder Roderick Briffa and Floriana striker Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza were all drafted in the squad. Sciberras had missed the trip to Slovenia as he was suffering from an injury.
Malta had lost 1-0 in Ljubljana.
The squad is therefore made up of:
goalkeepers Omar Borg (Msida), Justin Haber (Birkirkara);
defenders Ian Azzopardi and Clifton Ciantar (Floriana), Kurt Farrugia (Marsaxlokk), Clint Micallef (Birkirkara), Shaun Tellus (Sliema);
midfielders Etienne Barbara and Shaun Bajada (Floriana), Roderick Bajada (Hamrun), Jonathan Bondin (Valletta), Roderick Briffa (Birkirkara), Christian Cassar (Floriana), Kevin Sammut (Sliema), Gareth Sciberras (Pietà) and
forwards Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Trevor Cilia (Floriana), Andrew Cohen and Antoine Zahra (Hibernians), Brandon Zammit (Marsaxlokk).
The Under 21 side will once again be in action four days later against France at the National Stadium.
- David Trezeguet will not form part of the French squad for the two EURO 2004 qualifying matches against Slovenia and Malta. Although French coach Jacques Santini had recalled the Juventus striker in order to replace Olivier Kapo of Auxerre on Tuesday morning, Dr Jean-Michel Ferret and the medical staff of Juventus agreed that the player still needed time to recover.
Trezeguet returned for Juventus on Sunday in the game against Como but had complained that it was mistake he resumed playing so soon following the injury.
His place has now been taken by Daniel Moreira of Lens. This is the first national team call for Moreira.
The squad is therefore made up of:
The squad is made up of goalkeepers Fabien Barthez (Manchester United), Grégory Coupet (Olympique Lyonnais);
defenders Jérémy Bréchet (Olympique Lyonnais), Marcel Desailly (Chelsea), William Gallas (Chelsea), Philippe Mexes (AJ Auxerre), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), Mikaël Silvestre (Manchester United), Lilian Thuram (Juventus);
midfielders Eric Carrière (Olympique Lyonnais), Bruno Cheyrou (Liverpool), Olivier Dacourt (Leeds United), Claude Makelele (Real Madrid), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) and;
Sidney Govou (Olympique Lyonnais), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Steve Marlet (Fulham), Daniel Moreira (Lens) and Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal).
Mon 7
- The MFA Technical Centre will be holding another Instructional Meeting for all 'A' and 'B' Licence Coaches on Monday, 14th October, 2002, at 18.30hrs at the MFA Training Grounds. The Instructional Meeting will consist of a practical session conducted by Mr Stephen Azzopardi.
All coaches are expected to wear the right attire in order to participate in the practical session.
Sun 6
- Premier League Pietà H. vs Mosta 3-0, Hibernians vs Marsa 2-2
- First Division Naxxar L. vs St. Patrick 1-3, Msida SJ vs Gozo 3-2
- Second Division Zebbug R. vs Dingli S. 4-1, Gzira U. vs St. Andrews 1-5
- Third Division Kirkop U. vs Zejtun C. 0-1, Sta. Lucia vs Sta. Venera L. 1-0
- Gozo - First Division Qala SJ vs Zebbug R. 0-1
- Gozo - Second Division Oratory Y. vs SK Victoria W. 1-4
Sat 5
- Premier League Marsaxlokk vs Floriana 1-3, Sliema W. vs Hamrun S. 2-0
- First Division Balzan Y. vs Senglea A. 2-0, Xghajra T. vs Rabat A. 0-4
- Second Division Mellieha vs Zurrieq 0-0, Luqa SA vs San Gwann 1-6
- Gozo - First Division Nadur Y. vs Xaghra U. 1-0
- Gozo - Second Division St. Lawrence S. vs Gharb R. 1-4
- The HSBC Women's League 2002-03 will kick-off on Sunday October 20.
Taking part this season are the same six teams which competed in the past two years: champions Hibernians, knock-out winners Birkirkara, Melita, Mosta, Raiders and Rabat Ajax.
The first matches are Rabat A. vs Birkirkara, Melita vs Raiders and Mosta vs Hibernians. Mosta-Hibs will be played the following weekend (Sun 27 October).
All the Women's League matches are going to be played at the Pace Grasso Ground.
The Women's League gains more importance as the Malta Football Association prepares to take part in the Women's Championship 2005 qualifiers. The qualifying rounds will be played in 2003 and 2004.
- A number of fixtures in the First, Second and Third Division League had to be postponed due to Malta's commitments in the UEFA Regions Cup.
The team representing Malta is made up of amateur players coming from these three divisions. Malta will be playing in the qualifying round Group 7 together with amateur/regional teams representing Northern Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands. Malta plays the first match against hosts Holland on Tuesday 15, against Portugal on Thursday 17 and Northern Ireland on Saturday 19.
From Division 1, the matches that were postponed were Lija A. vs Msida SJ and Gozo FC vs Mqabba scheduled for Sunday 13 and Mqabba vs Lija A. scheduled for Saturday 19.
In Division 2, the matches that were postponed are: Vittoriosa S. vs Tarxien R. (Sat 13 - to be held on Wed 23), St. Andrews vs Mellieha and Dingli S. vs Attard (Sat 19 - to be held on Mon 21) and Qormi vs Vittoriosa S. (Sun 20).
The matches that had to be postponed in the Third Division were:
Sirens vs Gudja U. and Siggiewi vs Kirkop U. (Fri 18) and Zejtun C. vs Sta. Lucia (Sun 20). Sirens vs Gudja will be held on Monday 21.
- Birkirkara F.C. and First Foods Ltd (McDonald’s) announced the sponsorship deal extension for another year, during a press conference held at the Club's premises on Friday.
Birkirkara FC’s Chairman Victor Zammit, during his opening speech thanked First Foods Ltd for financially supporting the Club. Zammit declared that McDonald’s, besides having the same colours of the Club, have become synonymous with Birkirkara FC. The Chairman emphasized that a company sponsoring a local club has a right to exposure.
Zammit pinpointed that it is the duty of the MFA, the clubs and those who have the local football at their heart’s, to help increase the interest in local football. Club chairman believes that attendances in local football can increase. From a survey conducted two years ago, it resulted that 78% don’t attend local football matches. They claimed that that they prefer watching foreign football on television, and blamed poor level of local football, and speculations of corruption, amongst other reasons. Zammit’s proposal to the MFA Executive to issue season tickets and to organise visits by school children to watch local games for free have so far been unheeded.
First Food Ltd’s representative, Joanne Ellis, said that this is the seventh your of partnership between Birkirkara and McDonald’s. Ellis augured Birkirkara success for the present season. McDonald’s representative announced that there will be more Birkirkara players’ appearance in their outlets during this year. At the end of her short speech, Joanne Ellis presented a token to Birkirkara’s defender William Camenzuli, who was voted as the favourite player by the McDonald’s employees. Birkirkara Chairman presented a framed Birkirkara FC's top of the official gear to the McDonald’s representative.
Fri 4
- Premier League Birkirkara vs Valletta 1-3
- Third Division Ta' Xbiex vs Siggiewi 0-3, St. George's vs Sirens 3-0
Thu 3
- French national coach Jacques Santini named a 20-man squad for the forthcoming EURO 2004 qualifiers against Slovenia in Paris and Malta at Ta' Qali.
Missing from the squad is Juventus striker David Trezeguet who has just recovered from an injury, the injured Bixente Lizarazu and Nicholas Anelka. All other top players like Fabien Barthez, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieira, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry are all part of the squad.
The squad is made up of goalkeepers Fabien Barthez (Manchester United), Grégory Coupet (Olympique Lyonnais);
defenders Jérémy Bréchet (Olympique Lyonnais), Marcel Desailly (Chelsea), William Gallas (Chelsea), Philippe Mexes (AJ Auxerre), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), Mikaël Silvestre (Manchester United), Lilian Thuram (Juventus);
midfielders Eric Carrière (Olympique Lyonnais), Bruno Cheyrou (Liverpool), Olivier Dacourt (Leeds United), Olivier Kapo (AJ Auxerre), Claude Makelele (Real Madrid), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) and;
Sidney Govou (Olympique Lyonnais), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Steve Marlet (Fulham) and Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal).
Meanwhile the French Football Federation has announced that the March 29 EURO 2004 qualifier between France and Malta will not be played at the Stade de France. The Stade Félix Bollaert, the home-ground of RC Lens will host the game instead. The stadium which was built in 1998 can host 41,810 spectators.
Wed 2
- Following a meeting of the Marsa FC committee which discussed the club's poor Premier League start, an ad hoc disciplinary board was set-up in order to take disciplinary actions as it deems fit against a number of players.
Maurizio Vallastro, Ridha Dardouri, Nikolai Slavchev, Simon Giordemaina, Malcolm Tirchett, Sandro Gambin and Jonathan Buttigieg have been asked to appear in front of this board, which is under the chairmanship of the vice president Paul Aquilina.
Any player who absents himself from the meeting will be disciplined in his absence. An urgent meeting for all players which will be addressed by club president Joe Gauci will be held on Friday. Disciplinary action will also be taken against any player who does not attend the meeting.
- Three Premier League players were handed a one-match ban after being sent off during the weekend.
Hamrun Spartans defenders Graham Bencini and Charlo Magro, who were sent off in the first half of the match against Hibernians, will now miss next Saturday's match against Sliema Wanderers.
On the other hand, Johann Zammit of Marsa will be unavailable for the next league match against Hibernians.
Wed 2
- Gozo - First Division Xewkija T. vs Ghajnsielem 1-1
- This season Birkirkara seem once again set to be plagued by injuries. Matthew Calascione, the latest addition on the casualty list, is expected to be out of the field of play for over a month after suffering an injury last Saturday in the game against Mosta.
Calascione, who limped off injured just before the end of the first half, sustained a ligament injury. He is expected to miss a number of direct clashes including the matches against Valletta, Hibernians and Sliema Wanderers besides the game against Hamrun.
Mark Anthony Bonnici, Hubert Suda, Antoine Zahra and Michael Spiteri are all ruled out through injuries. On a more positive note, Jaroslav Marx and George Mallia are quickly recovering and should be available for selection for Friday's big match against Valletta.