by Malta’s Women’s National Team will welcome Cyprus for the penultimate UEFA Women’s Nations League match this Friday. As Malta seeks three points to confirm promotion with a game to spare, there will be more records to set as the Maltese women’s team makes a return to the home of the national teams of Malta, twenty years since its last appearance.
A Return To The Home Of The National Teams
The Malta Women’s National team will be entertaining Cyprus at the National Stadium in Ta’ Qali on Friday at 19:00 CET, for the penultimate UEFA Women’s Nations League match. Malta will attempt to counteract their result on away soil, after the team fell to a 2-1 defeat in Larnaca, last February. A victory would be enough to secure their place at the top of the group with one match to spare.
Malta’s Women National Team has danced this dance before on home soil, in a do or die match against Latvia, back in 2023, which they did by coming back from a goal down to secure a first promotion to League B. Different to that day will be the opposition, but also the fact that this time they will be playing in the true home of national teams in Malta, the National Stadium.
It will be a debut for many of the players involved, but it will not be the first time the Maltese Women have graced the pitch. In fact, resurfacing works being carried out at the Centenary Stadium open the perfect opportunity for the Women’s National Team to make a return to the National Stadium, twenty years since the last appearance.
Three Appearances
The Maltese women made their debut in the National Stadium in their second ever match and the first home match, back in 2003. Following a debut on away soil against Romania, Malta hosted Ireland in what was a rude awakening to the realities of opposition quality. The Irish side walked away with a 9 – 0 victory against the hosts, in front of a hundred Maltese faithful supporters in the stands.
However, Maltese sides have always been ones ready to face a challenge, and that team walked out onto the pitch a year later to earn a much more respectable scoreline. It was a 2 – 0 defeat against Bosnia & Herzegovina, this time with 300 supporters in the stands.
The last appearance was a year later, in 2005, in a 4-1 defeat to Croatia. An opening goal in the 5th minute by Croatia’s Violeta Baban was cancelled by Malta’s captain, Rebecca D’Agostino just four minutes later. In fact, Rebecca D’Agostino remains thus far the only woman to have scored a goal for Malta in a competitive match at the National Stadium. However, the visitors showed their prowess with back to back goals in the opening half, before sealing the faith in injury time for a 4 – 1 defeat to Malta.
Since then, Malta’s Women’s National Team has played its matches in other venues, predominantly in the Centenary Stadium, or sometimes at the Hibernians or Victor Tedesco Stadiums. With the majority of matches in the domestic game also being reserved to similar or smaller venues, and the time that has expired since the last match, the vast majority of Maltese players will also be marking their debut in the stadium against Cyprus on Friday.
Victory Not Guaranteed, But There’s Plenty Of Growth Since
As noted above, the Maltese team will walk onto the pitch in search of a victory that will earn them their place back into League B. Doing so in that pitch would also mark a new beginning in their history at the home of the National Teams of Malta.
There is no doubt that their return to that pitch is one overdue when considering the strides made since 2005. Playing in bigger pitches and stadiums is something that most of these players have grown accustomed to on the international level and also with several also becoming more adapted to this at club level when playing UEFA competitions or for those playing their football in top leagues abroad.
Combining the two sets of competitions, one may add that these players have also secured positive results in the years that have expired since, which sets the team on a positive path since 2005 and providing a good foundation for a change in the scores.
However, as any football fanatic knows, the match is ultimately determined on the performance of the ninety minutes. Just as Malta will be pushing for their best, so will Cyprus who hope to keep their chances alive and make life as difficult as possible for the hosts. All will be to play for in a seventh meet between the two nations, with Cyprus claiming three victories, Malta claiming two and the spoils shared back in 2013.
The Twelfth Player – Making The National Stadium A Fort
As expected, pressure will be high in the only way sports can push adrenaline through players, coaches and supporters alike. The last piece of the puzzle will be the twelfth player in the stands, which could cement the feeling of a true home for the Maltese team depending on the numbers and the vocal support given.
The South End Core has been rallying the troops with an expectation for the ultras to make their voices heard. The Malta Football Association has also rallied troops with a series of posts, while the Maltese players have been making the rounds across schools to fully attract the next generation of players and supporters. A full modern spectacle in all it’s glory, the pre-match will also feature a live performance by Malta’s Eurovision contestant, Miriana Conte, intended to maximise the modern fan experience and attract the numbers to the stands.
However, the floodlights will shine brightest for those wearing the Maltese cross & the Cypriot emblem, as players they lay their best efforts to come away with a victory. As Malta looks to write a new page in its footballing history, the crowd attendance could be crucial not only in breaking a record attendance for the women’s national team (which stands at 1,026 supporters), but most importantly to show the true colour of a heart that beats as one toward its athletes – its national teams.
The match begins at 19:00. Tickets are available online. If one already owns a ticket for the Malta Men’s National Team match to be played against Lithuania at the National Stadium on the 7th of June, they will be able to buy the match ticket for the Women’s encounter this Friday for a reduced price of €5 at the gate.
Lead Image: Brandon Bonett
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