Malta has never beaten Croatia in a competitive football match. The closest the country has come is a draw in 2005 in a World Cup Qualifier, the aftermath of which saw Croats uproot seats at Ta’ Qali Stadium and throw them at Maltese supporters.

That equalising goal came from Maltese defender Stephen Wellman, who found the net from a beautiful set piece in the 73rd minute, sending Croatia back home with a 1-1 draw.

@lovinmaltaofficial7 losses. 1 draw. One chaotic end. Tomorrow, we go again 😬🇲🇹🇭🇷 ##fyp ##fypmalta ##malta ##football ##throwback ##worldcup ##qualifier ##lovinmalta♬ original sound – Lovin Malta

“I still remember that goal, it was quite exciting,” Wellman told Lovin Malta. “It was the only goal I scored for Malta. It’s quite unforgettable.”

“We were quite a good team at the time and we had some good results during my era,” Wellman reflected. “We had quite a large attendance in Ta’ Qali and the stadium was full and the excitement was high, you could hear the ground roaring from everywhere when we scored,” he said.

Malta will once again face Croatia tomorrow in the first World Cup qualifying match since that historic day in 2005. While the atmosphere won’t be the same, with it being an away game and the ongoing pandemic, the stakes are still as high.