The Malta Under-17 national team lost 0-6 to Slovakia in the opening match from Group 5 of the UEFA Under-17 Championship Round 1 at the Centenary Stadium on Wednesday. 

Alan Lembakoali gave the visitors a three-goal lead with goals on 15, 31 and 37 minutes and with three minutes remaining in the first half, Ayrem Aquilina was sent off for Malta. Slovakia were quick to make it 4-0 on Denis Zofcak on 44 minutes.

Nine minutes from time, Zofcak added another with Patrick Sopko scoring a sixth goal five minutes from time. 

Photo courtesy of Malta FA

MALTA Noah Mulholland, Liam Gatt, Andrei Agius, Kaiden Grixti (Matthew Higgans 86), Zayden Azzopardi, Jerome Gaffiero, Jayden Roe (Gianni Camenzuli 86), Ayrem Aquilina, Nicholas Busuttil (Sean Farrugia 46), Gianni Zerafa (Luke Buttigieg 78), Lukas Wright (Giorgio Cristauro 68)

SLOVAKIA Lukas Pelegrin, Andrej Lukac (Tomas Turian 68), Filip Vaclavik, Alex Konecny, Miroslav Ruziak (Dominik Kapusta 76), Maxim Dolezaj, Alex Subert, Damian Blascik (Adam Oros 46), Mario Charamza (Patrick Sopko 68), Denis Zofcak, Alan Lembakoali (Oleg Zahradnik 68).

Referee: Dovydas Svegzda (LIT)