Reflecting on the Cyprus match, the coach said Malta had played well and because of that, made the job look simpler than it was.

He pointed out that most of Cyprus’ opportunities in the game had come from set pieces, which he said would always pose a danger. Tonight was no different, he said.

He emphasised the dangers posed by opposing teams from set pieces

Cain Attard, who netted a brace against Cyprus, described the electric atmosphere in the dressing room after the match but insisted that the players were well aware that they now needed to forget about Wednesday and focus on the task at hand.

If the team played according to Mangia’s plan, he said, the result would surely be positive.

He praised Mangia for bringing about a radical change in the team’s mentality. “Being in the national team is always a daunting task, however, if one works hard then he reaps the benefits.”

Tonight’s match at the end of a week of wins for Maltese football. In addition to the national team’s win, Malta’s U-21 side trashed Northern Ireland 4-1, while the U17 team put in an equally dominant display against HNK Rijeka, winning the match 4-2/

Malta’s futsal team also netted two wins, 5-2 against Montenegro and 1-0 against San Marino.

Forza Malta!