Malta coach Devis Mangia said that his team’s physical fitness was his main concern as the national team takes on group leaders Russia in a 2022 World Cup qualifier in Moscow on Tuesday (kick-off: 20.45).
The Malta national team are heading into the match after a highly-encouraging week of international football which saw the side register an impressive 3-0 win over Cyprus at the National Stadium and then were unlucky to suffer a 1-0 defeat to Slovenia in Ljubljana, courtesy of a highly-dubious penalty.
On Tuesday, Malta faces its toughest test of this month against a Russian side who are firmly in the battle for securing an automatic berth in next year’s finals in Qatar, albeit at present they will be unable to compete under the name or flag of their country as they are currently serving a two-year ban from international competition imposed on them by the World Anti-Doping Agency.