Ivan Woods is set for a debut of fire as he takes charge of the Malta U-21 national team for the first time when they face Spain in their opening European Championship qualifier at the Tony Bezzina Stadium on Friday night (kick-off: 8.45pm).

Woods was named as the new Malta coach last month as he filled the void left by Gilbert Agius. His first assignment is a daunting one as he leads his team against a Spanish team who reached the final of the European Championship finals this summer, only to lose to England 1-0.

“It’s no secret that we start our campaign with a very tough assignment against Spain,” Woods told the Times of Malta.

“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world at U-21 level. A few months ago they reached the European Championship final so it’s going to be a difficult test. But I want my team to try and compete against such a formidable opposition as it will certainly be a great learning curve for my players.

Read full story on sport.timesofmalta.com

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