Malta vs Poland on December 11

The Malta FA Communications Office yesterday issued a short statement to confirm the news that Poland will be visiting the island next month and will play a friendly against Malta on Thursday, December 11.

Poland national coach Pawel Janas will be conducting a training camp during the team's stay in Malta.

The Polish FA contingent arrives on December 8 and will play another friendly here before returning home. On December 14, they face Lithuania who will also be in Malta for a short stay.

Both friendly internationals will be played at Ta' Qali's National Stadium but kick-off times will be announced in due course, the Malta FA statement said.

On Monday, a Polish FA spokesman told The Times that their national squad's visit to Malta had already been arranged. Officials at the MFA, however, could not confirm the news.

Poland have already held a mid-term training camp in Malta before.

In winter of 1999, the Hibs Ground at Corradino hosted the eastern Europeans who during their 10-day stay here played friendlies against Hibernians, Malta and Finland who were also training in Malta in that particular period.

Agent Jurgen von Matt, of Switzerland, was at Ta' Qali yesterday to inspect facilities and finish off the last details of the Poland squad's visit. Von Matt was also the go-between when Poland held their other training camp in Malta almost four years ago.

Poland and Malta faced each other three times in previous matches. Poland emerged winners on all three occasions - two 1982 World Cup qualifiers (2-0 and 6-0) and a friendly at Ta' Qali in February 1999 (1-0).

In their last official outing earlier this month, Poland beat Italy 3-1 in a friendly in Warsaw.

However, the squad in Malta next month will be composed of home-based players only as Janas will be taking a closer look at the fringe players who could join his group in the World Cup 2006 qualifiers next year.