MFA steps up efforts to whip up support for national team

With Malta's EURO 2004 double-fixture against Israel and France at Ta' Qali looming large, the Malta FA has stepped up its efforts to engender more interest in our national team among local football enthusiasts.

Brimming with big-name players, European champions France are likely to lure thousands of fans to the stadium but the MFA is dead set on maximising the French glamour in its bid to tempt more people to return to Ta' Qali for internationals, starting with the Saturday, October 12 qualifier against Israel.

To this end, the MFA has issued combined tickets for both matches.

These will go on sale today until October 15. Tickets for the Malta vs France game, on Wednesday, October 16, may also be purchased from the Stadium on matchday.

Dr Joe Mifsud, the Malta FA president, said that more than 500 French fans will be travelling to Malta to watch the match.

In order to whip up interest in Malta's up-and-coming home qualifiers, the Malta FA will also be organising a lottery in connection with those games. Maltese residents purchasing tickets for the Israel and France home qualifiers will be eligible to participate by filling in their personal details on the stub attached to the match ticket and depositing it in one of the containers located at the various entrances to the stadium.

The lottery draw will take place during half-time of the Malta vs France qualifier which will kick off at 8.45 p.m. The winner of the first prize will receive flights, hotel accommodation and match tickets for two on the occasion of Malta's EURO 2004 qualifier in Cyprus on November 20.

The other prize is a trip for two to Paris to watch Malta's EURO 2004 qualifier against France at the Stade de France on March 29, 2003.

"The MFA is doing its best to entice fans to come and support our national team in the coming matches. Support for our national team at Ta' Qali has been non-existent for several years but we dearly want to improve the atmosphere during home internationals.

"Hopefully, our initiatives will stimulate fans to rally behind our national team," the MFA chief remarked.

Mifsud derived a lot of satisfaction in saying that the MFA had succeeded in arranging just one double-fixture in its EURO 2004 Group One qualifying trek and both matches will be played at Ta' Qali.

He also pointed to the away qualifier against Israel, saying that the MFA will have ample time to evaluate the situation in the unstable Middle East by the time the fixture will be played in September 2003.

Packed schedule

While the European assignments of Malta's senior and U-21 teams will inevitably grab much of the sporting limelight in the coming weeks, Mifsud said that several other selections will be in action over the next two months.

The Group One qualifiers of the UEFA Regions Cup will be played in the Netherlands between October 15 and 19. Malta has been drawn against Northern Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands.

At that same time, Malta's U-17s will be in Denmark to take part in the UEFA U-17 Championship Group Nine. Malta is due to face Sweden, Denmark and N. Ireland.

Another Maltese football selection, the U-19s, will travel to Cyprus next month for the UEFA U-19 Championship (Group 7).

Cyprus, Norway and Bosnia are Malta's opponents in this competition which ends on November 14, six days before Malta's senior team clash with Cyprus in a EURO 2004 qualifier in Limassol.