by Mtarfa and San Gwann kick-off proceedings in the bottom-four section of the Assikura Women’s League tonight at 20:30 at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. Providing two very contrasting stories since last season, Mtarfa’s team manager Mario Formosa and San Gwann’s coach Julian Camilleri suggest that both teams are preparing for the battle in the upcoming round.
Pushing Through
Mtarfa and San Gwann head into the third round on the back of defeats, however the story of the season has been quite different for the two teams this year. Mtarfa have been unable to replicate last year’s successes. On the other hand, San Gwann have exceeded last year’s points tally already and taken themselves into sixth-place with ten points.
Despite the tough ongoings of the season thus far, Mtarfa’s team manager Mario Formosa suggests that although morale is low, the team is not giving up. He said, “Of course the situation can be much better and morale is low because of the recent results. However, I believe that players will continue to show their commitment and dedication for the team. The players aren’t quitters and will give everything so the situation will improve.”
Meanwhile, San Gwann’s coach Julian Camilleri knows all about the difficulties of picking up a squad, having taken up the post following last year’s bottom of the table finish for the Yellows. Having lost two out of three matches against the Blues in the previous season, San Gwann head into this match having won both the first and second round matches and are yet to concede a goal against Mtarfa.
Asked about his approach to get San Gwann to their current standing, Camilleri said, “I think it’s important to assess what the problems are and then work to eliminate them one by one. It’s tough at the beginning, but you have to be tough and stick to your principles. The results don’t come immediately, but I think in those moments it’s important to believe in the process that you are working on.”
Expectations To Kick Off The Final Round
Looking ahead to the match in search of a better performance in the final round, Mtarfa’s team manager Mario Formosa said, “San Gwann match will kick off our third round, a round where we aim to obtain better performances and hopefully some good results too. The match will still be a tough encounter as we still need to recover some players and San Gwann have proved that they are really a good team.”
Asked about the returns of players such as Rebecca Zammit, Estelle Borg and Angele Fenech, Mtarfa’s team manager Mario Formosa responded, “There are a few challenges coming up for the match because of the fixture change from Saturday to Thursday. We will have to adapt for the absence of some key players but we are going recover Angele Fenech. That will help us a lot.”
San Gwann’s coach Julian Camilleri has set out the objectives for the upcoming stage, starting with tonight’s match, “All of the matches in the phase are crucial for us. Looking at the table we are separated against Lija Athletic by just three points and we also want to close the gap to Valletta. We cannot take anything for granted. So, tonight we go to the match to earn the three points and improve our goal difference.”
The Yellows will also be boosted by the return of Moroccan duo Chaimaa Tourki and Rabab Mhalli who have been missing since the new year. However, San Gwann’s Julian Camilleri provided the thumbs up for their availability against the Blues.
The match begins at 20:30 and will be played at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. In parallel there will also be the top-four encounter between Birkirkara and Mgarr United at the Centenary Stadium (20:15), which will also be broadcast on TVM Sports+.
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