Malta Under-21 coach Silvio Vella has selected a squad of 20 players for the friendly match against Switzerland Under-20 and the UEFA Under-21 Championship Group Six qualifying match away to Turkey.
The friendly against Switzerland U-20, on Friday 23rd March at the Centenary Stadium (kick-off 13.00), is in preparation for Malta’s away qualifier against Turkey on 27th March.
Vella has awarded a first call-up to goalkeeper Andreas Vella who has been playing well for BOV Premier League side Mosta this season. Other newcomers in the Malta Under-21 squad are Sliema Wanderers defender Kurt Shaw, Pietà Hotspurs midfielder Dylan Agius and foreign-based duo Conor Borg, who is on the books of Italian Serie A club Roma, and Andrea Borg, the Peterborough United forward.
Conor Borg, who has been training regularly with Roma’s senior squad since recovering from a long-term injury, is 20 while Andrea Borg is only 18.
Valletta defender Jean Borg has been named in the senior Malta squad for the friendly match against Luxembourg on Thursday, 22nd March but will be rejoining the Under-21 squad ahead of their trip to Turkey.
The Malta Under-21 team suffered a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Turkey in their last UEFA U-21 Championship qualifier, played at the Centenary Stadium on 10th November, 2017. The Maltese youngsters are still looking for their first point in the group which also contains Belgium, Hungary, Sweden and Cyprus.
The match against Turkey, on 27th March at the Oba Stadyumu in Alanya (kick-off 18.00), will be followed by four home qualifiers for Malta between June and October 2018.
Photo: Copyright domenic aquilina
The squad is made up of:
goalkeepers Jake Galea (Ħamrun Spartans); Andreas Vella (Mosta);
defenders Jean Borg (Valletta); Kurt Shaw (Sliema Wanderers); Karl Micallef (Ħamrun Spartans); Dunstan Vella (Hibernians); Kurt Zammit (Birkirkara); Neil Tabone (Żejtun Corinthians); Michele Sansone (Sliema Wanderers);
midfielders Conor Borg (AS Roma, Italy); Dexter Xuereb (Mosta); Nikolai Muscat (Gżira United); Jake Grech (Birkirkara); Dylan Agius (Pietà Hotspurs); Zachary Scerri (Gżira United); Juan Corbalan (Gżira United);
forwards Jurgen Degabriele (Hibernians); Joseph Mbong (Hibernians); Kyrian Nwoko (Valletta); Andrea Borg (Peterborough United FC, England).