Malta women's national football team

The Malta women's national football team represents the Malta Football Association in international women's football matches sanctioned by UEFA.[2] As of June 2017, Malta ranks 94th in the FIFA Women's World Rankings.[3]

Malta
AssociationMalta Football Association
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachMark Gatt
CaptainDorianne Theuma
Most capsDorianne Theuma (64)
Top scorerDorianne Theuma (21)
Home stadiumCentenary Stadium
FIFA codeMLT
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 103 1 (27 September 2019)[1]
Highest74 (August 2003)
Lowest113 (December 2006)
First international
 Romania 3–0 Malta 
(Bucharest, August 10, 2003)
Biggest win
 Malta 6–0 Luxembourg 
(Ta'Qali, April 6, 2013)
Biggest defeat
 Malta 0–13 Spain 
(Ta'Qali, September 9, 2009)

History

The team first appeared in official competitions in the 2005 European Championship's qualifying, debuting on August 10, 2003 in Bucharest with a 3–0 loss to Romania. Malta lost all eight games, with a 1–35 goal average. The team's first goal was scored by Sarah Caruana on November 16, 2003, against Croatia.[4]

After 13 losses, Malta achieved its first tie on June 7, 2006 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last match of the 2007 World Cup's qualifying. The team played for the first time against elite national teams in the 2011 World Cup's qualifying, losing all games including a record 0–13 defeat to Spain. On March 3, 2011 Malta won an official match for the first time in the 2013 European Championship qualifying's preliminary round, beating Georgia 1–0 with a goal by D'Agostino in injury time.

On April 6, 2013 Malta attained its first crushing win by beating Luxembourg 6–0 in the 2015 World Cup qualifying's preliminary round. The team also defeated Latvia and tied with Albania to top the group and make it past a preliminary round for the first time in its fourth attempt.[5]

The team was coached from its foundation to 2015 by Pierre Brincat, then from 22 January 2015 by former U19 coach Mark Gatt.[6]

World Cup record
World Cup Finals
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GD
1991Did not enter−−−−−−−
1995−−−−−−−
1999−−−−−−−
2003−−−−−−−
2007Did not qualify−−−−−−−
2011−−−−−−−
2015−−−−−−−
2019−−−−−−−
Total0/7−−−−−−−
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Current squad

The following 20 players were named to the squad for the UEFA Women's Euro 2021 qualifying Group B matches against  Israel and  Italy on 7 November 2019 and 12 November 2019, respectively.[7]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Janice Xuereb (1996-08-01) 1 August 1996 Birkirkara
1GK Rachelle Lynn Borg (1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 Mġarr United
3 2DF Ann-Marie Said (1994-07-02) 2 July 1994 Birkirkara
4 2DF Emma Lipman (1989-02-23) 23 February 1989 Florentia San Gimignano
5 2DF Stephania Farrugia (1991-09-11) 11 September 1991 Birkirkara
9 2DF Alishia Sultana (1997-04-09) 9 April 1997 Birkirkara
16 2DF Charlene Zammit (1991-01-18) 18 January 1991 Swieqi United
20 2DF Nicole Sciberras (2001-04-28) 28 April 2001 Juventus
2DF Jasmine Turner (1994-12-17) 17 December 1994 Mġarr United
6 3MF Dorianne Theuma (captain) (1984-05-17) 17 May 1984 Swieqi United
8 3MF Rachel Cuschieri (1992-04-26) 26 April 1992 PSV
14 3MF Shona Zammit (1996-06-15) 15 June 1996 Pink Bari
15 3MF Jade Flask (1996-08-04) 4 August 1996 Swieqi United
17 3MF Veronique Mifsud (2003-02-01) 1 February 2003 Birkirkara
18 3MF Emma Xuereb (1992-01-05) 5 January 1992 Swieqi United
7 4FW Ylenia Carabott (1989-03-02) 2 March 1989 Chievo Fortitudo
10 4FW Martina Borg (1996-10-24) 24 October 1996 Torres Sassari
13 4FW Maria Farrugia (2001-01-09) 9 January 2001 Sunderland
17 4FW Brenda Borg (1997-05-01) 1 May 1997 Mġarr United
4FW Claudette Xuereb (1996-08-30) 30 August 1996 Mġarr United

Overall official record
CompetitionStageResultOpponentPositionScorers
2005 Euro qualifyingRegular stage
(Class B)		0–3 0–8
0–1 0–2
0–3 1–4
0–9 0–5		 Romania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Ireland		5 / 50
0
Caruana
0
2007 World Cup qualifyingRegular stage
(Class B)		1–4 0–1
1–4 1–3
0–1 1–1		 Croatia
Slovenia
Bosnia and Herzegovina		4 / 4D'Agostino
Theuma, Tonna
Theuma
2009 Euro qualifyingPreliminary round0–0
2–4
0–8		 Lithuania
Luxembourg
Slovakia		4 / 40
Carabott 2
0
2011 World Cup qualifyingRegular stage0–13 0–9
0–8 0–6
0–2 0–6
0–2 1–5		 Spain
England
Austria
Turkey		5 / 50
0
0
N. Pace
2013 Euro qualifyingPreliminary round1–0
0–2
1–1		 Georgia
Faroe Islands
Armenia		2 / 4D'Agostino
0
Cuschieri
2015 World Cup qualifyingPreliminary round1–1
6–0
2–0		 Albania
Luxembourg
Latvia		1 / 4Theuma
Theuma 2, Buttigieg, Carabott, Cuschieri, Xuereb
Cuschieri, Theuma
Regular stage0–2 0–2
0–5 0–8
0–3 0–5
0–11 0–5
0–8 0–5		 Israel
Denmark
Serbia
Switzerland
Iceland		6 / 6

Most capped players

Below is a list of the 10 players with the most caps for Malta, as of 23 June 2015. (bold denotes players still available for selection).

# Player Period Caps Goals
1 Dorianne Theuma 2003–present 64 21
2 Rebecca D'Agostino 2003–2014 57 4
3 Ylenia Carabott 2005–present 56 11
4 Natasha Pace 2003–2014 48 3
5 Rachel Cuschieri 2007–present 42 6
6 Charlene Zammit 2009–present 33 0
6 Mandy Debono 2006–present 33 0
6 Maria Azzopardi 2003-2011 33 0
9 Stefania Farrugia 2007–present 32 1
10 Kathleen Saliba 2004-2012 31 1

References
  1. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  2. "Malta - Women's". UEFA. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  3. "FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: Women's Ranking". FIFA. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  4. Duret, Sébastien; Morrison, Neil (19 June 2005). "European Women Championship 2005 - Match Details". www.rsssf.com. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  5. Aquilina, Domenic (18 April 2013). "Malta proud to make history". UEFA. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  6. Lia, Gianluca (8 February 2015). "Interview with Malta women's national team head coach Mark Gatt". Women's Soccer United. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  7. Lia, Gianluca (2 November 2019). "Gatt names squad for upcoming Women's EURO qualifiers". Times of Malta. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
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