The Malta women’s national team will look to build on their win over Georgia last week with another strong showing against Bosnia at the Centenary Stadium this evening (kick-off: 6.30pm).
Enthusiasm is running high in the Malta camp after last Thursday’s 2-1 win over Georgia which saw Mark Gatt’s girls move up to fourth in Group B on four points.
It was Malta’s first ever top-level win in a qualifying campaign.
Speaking to the Times of Malta, coach Gatt is seeking another solid showing from his girls as they look to gain more credibility on the international stage.
“The Georgia result was a very positive outcome for us as we managed to extend our postive run of results which started with a 1-1 draw against Israel,” Gatt said.
“We are becoming more credible in our work as we are starting to attract more interest and that is the fruition of our commitment into this project.
“These girls are setting the bar higher for the upcoming generation and that means that we are on the right track to achieve our goals.”
Gatt said that one of his objectives before this preliminary campaign was to improve the fitness levels of the squad to keep the team competitive in every single outing.
“When it comes to the fitness aspect of the team, I am very pleased because the girls have improved a lot recently and this is down to the work done by our physical trainer, Karl Attard,” Gatt said.
Asked about what type of challenge the 61st-ranked Bosnia can provide to the Maltese side, Gatt said: “Bosnia are the highest-ranked nation behind Denmark and Italy in our group,” the Malta coach said.
“In the first round we lost 2-0 but I feel that since then the team has improved and in fact, rather than worrying about our opponents I will be focused on our playing style as I believe we can get a good result.”
Gatt said that his long term vision for his Malta side is that they can maintain their gradual growth to fulfil their potential.
“The Bosnia game will be an interesting test for us,” Gatt said.
“However, it will be important to focus on our own development, in particular, what is happening in our foundations to make sure that the Malta team's growth is a sustainable one.
“Other countries are investing heavily into the women’s game and we have to make sure to remain on track with them, through investment and results.”
One of the scorers in the Georgia win was Rachel Cuschieri who netted Malta’s opener – her 11th goal with the national team.
Cuschieri, currently on the books of PSV Vrouwen in the Netherlands, said that the historic win was a big moment for her team.
“I am very pleased that we managed to chalk up the three points and make history,” Cuschieri said.
“On a personal note, it was a relief for me to find the goal after almost two years out due to an injury.”
Cuschieri is one of the many foreign-based players in this squad. The former Birkirkara skipper, who has also played in Cyprus and Belgium, emphasised the importance of having more players playing abroad towards the team’s development.
“Football is my job and whenever I am with the national team, I always try to share my experiences with them,” she said.
“Obviously, I respect the players who have different lifestyles than mine but I feel that the mentality in this team is growing thanks to the players featuring overseas and that is reflected in our results.”
The well-balanced mixture of youth and experience in the side is a feature that Cuschieri indicated as key for the current Malta side.
“The youngsters are giving a different image to this team which is really beneficial to us,” she said.
“On the other hand, the experienced players are helping them to remain with their feet on the ground as while they bring a lot of enthusiasm, they also still need to polish their game.”