England-born James Carragher and French-born Ilyas Chouaref are both available to play for Malta in the forthcoming European Qualifiers starting with the home match against Finland and against Poland away from home on March 21 and 24 respectively.
This was announced by Malta FA President Bjorn Vassallo during a press conference on Tuesday where he, together with Malta senior national team head coach Emilio De Leo and women’s senior national team head coach Manuela Tesse spoke about the objectives for the national teams for this calendar year.
Carragher, the son of former Liverpool and England national team defender Jamie Carragher, is a twenty-two year old defender who plays for Wigan Athletic after starting his career at the Liverpool academy and having loan spells at Oldham Athletic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Scotland. His citizenship was obtained through lineage due a Maltese grandmother with surname Vassallo.
On the other hand, Chouaref, who is a former France Under-19 international, is a twenty-four year old left winger, who also plays as a centre-forward, and is on the books of Swiss top division side FC Sion after starting his career at LB Châteauroux in France. He also obtained his Maltese citizenship through ancestry as his ancestors with surname Xuereb had moved to North Africa where the surname was transformed in Chouaref.
Vassallo said that the main objectives for the men’s senior national team are two: to improve the team’s position in the forthcoming qualfiers compared to the last European Qualifiers, where Malta had finished at the bottom of the table without any points, with better performance and results and to improve the ranking from the current 168th place.
On the other hand, the objective for the women’s national team will be that of obtaining a second successive promotion to League B of the UEFA Nations League after the successful campaign led by Manuela Tesse in autumn 2023.
The Malta FA President said through the Under-21s and the male and female youth teams, which all form part of the development ages, the association aims to create a solid pathway which ultimately bring the talented players to the national A team selections.
Vassallo said that while the women’s national team call-up was made last week, the men’s national team call-up will be made on March 13.
He said national team head coach Emilio De Leo has been conducting one-to-one meetings with local players and online meetings with foreign-based players apart from following matches from the domestic league and matches where foreign-based players are involved.
The Malta A team kicks-off its commitments in Group G of the European Qualifiers on March 21 with the home match against Finland and the campaign will come to an end on November 17 with a home match against Poland. Malta will also play two friendly matches against Bosnia Herzegovina on October 12 and another one against an opponent which is yet to be confirmed on September 7. Both matches will be played at home.
>> European Qualifiers Group G fixtures
The women’s national team will be playing the UEFA Nations League Group C2 matches between February and June and then depending on the outcome, Malta will be friendly matches in October and November in case Malta wins the group or else take part in the play-offs.
>> UEFA Nations League Group C2 fixtures
The Malta FA President explained that women’s national team coach Manuela Tesse could now count on twenty nine year old Oceane Grange of French club RC Roubaix Wervicq who qualified for Maltese citizenship through lineage because of Maltese ancestry (family Attard from Gozo); twenty six year old Fiona Buttigieg of Luton Town who obtained citizenship by merit after marrying a Maltese national and twenty three year old Jana Barbara of FC Schalke 04, whose father is Maltese and mother is German, who was born in Malta and who already featured for Malta at youth level.
Vassallo stressed that these players obtained Maltese citizenship by right due to them being children from Maltese migrant families.
He said that the number of players playing competitive football abroad is on the rise and there are now a total of around sixty players, from the age of 15 upwards, which are Maltese passport holders, a clear sign that the scenario is always changing and developing.
“The Malta FA is always working towards the increase of players playing abroad as in today’s competitive and global market, football players with talent need to strive to be better, play in stronger leagues and build themselves a career.”
“We have a network of scouts working for us and if we deem that there are players who are either better than what we have or we can guide them through the development pathway for their improvement in the football ability, we would be interested.”
“Players at young age – those who have talent but moreso those who have mental toughness and determination to become better than what they are have to challenge their status quo, move out of their comfort zone and test their abilities out there to reach higher standards.”
“The Malta FA will continue to invest and offer the best conditions for local youngsters. We have extended the development pathway through our programmes in schools, the junior regional hubs, the youth selections up to the elite. Therefore those who want to take things seriously, there are ways and means for them to do so to progress.”
Vassallo revealed that next year, a reform in football nurseries to continue building on the progressive performance programmes.
He also added that with regards to facilities, the association will continue to invest and following the huge investment at the Tony Bezzina Stadium, this year, the Centenary Stadium will also get a new surface with works starting in May.
The new Category 1 pitch within the National Football Centre should be used for the first time in September while the actual National Football Centre which will house all the national teams set-ups will be inaugurated in the last quarter of 2025.
The Malta FA President concluded by saying that 2025 marks the association’s 125th anniversary and the Malta FA hopes to make this year “one to remember.”