Malta finished 2009 in the 146th place in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking as the last ranking list for the year was published on Wednesday.
Among European countries, Malta is ranked 50th. Just ahead of Malta are Azerbaijan (114), Faroe Islands (117), Georgia (124), Kazakhstan (125) and Luxembourg (128). Lying behind Malta are Liechtenstein (154), Andorra (202) and San Marino (203).
Over the past twelve months, Malta played eleven matches – five friendly games and six World Cup qualifiers. Malta registered a win in a friendly game against Georgia and a draw in the World Cup qualifier against Albania.
In the six World Cup qualifiers, Malta failed to score a goal, suffering fifteen. On the other hand, the boys in red managed to score goals in the friendly matches against Georgia – two, Angola and Bulgaria.
Following the 0-0 draw against Albania at Ta’ Qali in February, Malta lost 0-3 to Denmark and 3-0 in Hungary in March. Malta then played a friendly match against the Czech Republic away from home, losing 1-0 in June. In another match away from home, four days later, Malta lost 4-0 to Sweden.
Malta then defeated Georgia 2-0 in a friendly match at Ta’ Qali in August and a few days before the game against Sweden at home, the Maltese lost 0-2 to Cape Verde. Against Sweden, Malta suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat. The national team then travelled to Portugal in October, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Angola in a friendly match and 4-0 to Portugal in a World Cup qualifier. Finally in November, Malta lost 1-4 to Bulgaria in a friendly at the Hibs Ground.