A fairytale story for Malta’s prolific scorer, Michael Mifsud, which will be recounted for many years, was rubberstamped on Sunday, September 6, 2015.

He reached a magic target of 40 goals for his country to etch his name in the history of Maltese football and insert it in the pantheon of the world’s scoring catalysts at national team level.

The stage was Malta’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Azerbaijan at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium. A superb goal, scored with stunning simplicity and backed by perfect co-ordination early in the second half, made it a dream landmark that few national team scoring greats can boast of.

The wider scenario is the player’s im-pressive impact for his home country which started on February 10, 2000 against Albania and has so far lasted 112 matches.

The target of 40 goals is no mean achievement especially in these days when well-organised defences very often limit the number of conversions.

Within a short time, co-incidence played a big part in the story of two scoring protagonists. Barely three days after Mifsud achieved his magic mark, Wayne Rooney hit a stellar 50th goal for England in their 2-0 victory over Switzerland to erase the name of the legendary Bobby Charlton, whose 49 strikes had stood for 45 years in his country’s record books.

Comparisons between Mifsud and Rooney are obviously being made at this point, never mind the gulf in world standings that exists between the two players.

One may argue that nowadays there are some easier games because of weaker teams in group matches. But no-one denies that Rooney has banged in the goals regularly against today’s massed defences.

The target of 40 goals is no mean achievement especially in these days when well-organised defences very often limit the number of conversions

On the other hand, Mifsud’s’s feat cannot be devalued because of the ranking and weaker teams elements.

If anything, it assumes even greater proportions when considering that goals for tiny Malta have been hard to come by along the years. The player has definitely made our country proud.

Since his first strike against Iceland in a World Cup qualifier in 2001, goals came as a matter of course.

The player’s career continued flourishing after an auspicious start at club level with Sliema Wanderers, the team that represented his home town. He also finished top scorer in a couple of domestic competitions and twice won the Sportsman of the Year award

After some years he was launched into Europe where he played for two of the top-division teams in Germany (Kaiserslautern) and Norway (Lillestrom). After that he moved to England then back to Malta, with a brief sojourn in Australia. Now he is back with the Wanderers, his first love.

Mifsud is best remembered in England for the two goals he scored for Coventry City when they beat Manchester United 2-0 in a League Cup match in September 2007.

At national team level Malta’s chief goal-scorer will surely recollect his five goals against Liechtenstein in the country’s 7-1 friendly international victory at Ta’ Qali in 2008.

Sunday’s goal against Azerbaijan will also be remembered with pride by Mifsud.

The embrace from his colleagues and the thunderous applause from those present at the National Stadium while he signified with his fingers the target he reached will remain a memorable moment in the player’s career.

Maltese followers of the game all wish Michael Mifsud luck and more goals for his country.