by World Cup-bound Haiti will play a friendly against Malta this evening at 6 pm in Stade D’Octurne in Martigny, Switzerland. In this match preview we dive into the match expectation for each side and recent form.
Haiti Seek to End Swiss Camp with a Win
Haiti’s Nicolas Delépine has spent the last couple of weeks preparing his side in Switzerland in a training camp that will culminate with tonight’s match against Manuela Tesse’s Malta. The Haitians are currently gearing up their intensity for the Women’s World Cup which will kick off on the 20th July. Following the match against Malta, the team is set for a trip to South Korea where they will face the national team for a match on July 8th, before setting off to Australia where they will play a final match against a selection of players from the Perth region on July 15th.
Ranked 53 in the world according to FIFA, the Haitian side is further ahead than Malta in the pecking order (who are ranked 86 in the world), however, the team is also fairly young. Packed with ambition, Haiti’s golden generation will no doubt want to hit the ground running and use the friendly to start building confidence toward the major competition.
Tesse aware of match importance for the UEFA Nations League
Though lower ranked, Malta’s selection boasts a mix of youth and experience, which the coach is likely to tap into against the youthful Haiti. Tesse’s side misses a number of first-team regulars including a number of players from champions Birkirkara, together with Haley Bugeja and the injured Jade Flask. However, even despite this, Malta’s lineup boasts experienced veterans such as Rachel Cuschieri, Emma Lipman, together with long-time servant Dorianne Theuma, to name a few.
This experience is offset by a number of younger talents such as Georgiana Mifsud, Tammy Falzon and Maia Debono who could feature in defence, together with Amy Busuttil. Meanwhile, Yulya Carella, Sarah Vella Barberi and Maya Lucia could make an appearance out front, alongside veteran Ylenia Carabott and with Lewes Women FC’s new recruit Maria Farrugia. The full squad may be reviewed here.
In fact, the friendly is a perfect opportunity for Tesse to test out a few new combinations, as she continues to shape the side ahead of the upcoming UEFA Nations League. Speaking to the press ahead of the match the coach said, “As soon as I took over the women’s national team, I spoke of the potential observed, and it is our job and that of the clubs’ coaches to take care and nurture the talent of these very strong young players.”
Aware of their strength, Tesse was respectful of the opposition, while also acknowledging that the match could be a good test to weigh out how the team fares against Haiti, in comparison to Moldova. This is because the latter is due to be one of Malta’s opponents in the upcoming UEFA Nations League. Tesse said, “Haiti is a strong team and their participation in the World Cup is an indication of this, however this friendly is also important for us, since during one of their preparation matches, Haiti have also played Moldova, a team who is also in Malta’s group.”
Recent Form and How to Watch
Malta have an unblemished record in Tesse’s reign in charge, winning two encounters against Luxembourg which they followed up with a victory in Estonia last April. Both teams are ranked lower than Malta, with Luxembourg faring at 117, while Estonia is a bit further ahead at 98.
Haiti’s form since qualifying for the World Cup has been a mixed bag. They suffered a 2-1 defeat to Nigeria (ranked 40 and also a world cup qualifier) but bounced back with a 3-1 victory against the lower-ranked Moldova (ranked 111), both of which were friendlies. The latter could be more indicative of how the match is set to pan out against Malta, though Malta’s team is ranked higher than Moldova.
Despite the absentees mentioned above, Tesse will expect nothing but a committed showing from her side, while Delépine will want to see his team assert their dominance.
It is all to play for, with kick-off set at 6 pm. The match will be streamed with links to be confirmed at a later time.
Photos: Mediasport Haiti / Mark Zammit Cordina (Malta FA)
