Malta women coach Tesse names provisional squad for June camp, Haiti friendly

The Malta women’s selection is set to gather on Monday and launch their June training camp which will lead them to July’s friendly against Haiti.

Manuela Tesse’s side will meet the World-Cup bound side on July 1, in Switzerland.

Malta, who just moved up one place to 86th in the FIFA rankings, will use this camp as a preparation for September’s commitments in the newly-launched Women’s Nations League.

They will face Moldova, Latvia and Andorra in Group C.

For this camp, Tesse has selected 31 players from which she will choose a final squad to face Haiti next month.

Absent from the list are majority of the Birkirkara players, bar goalkeeper Janice Xuereb, with the Stripes not obliged to release the players since the national team is not meeting during a FIFA international window.

Jose Borg’s side, on their part, are starting their own preparations as they will represent Malta in this season’s Women’s Champions League.

Orlando Pride’s Haley Bugeja is not part of the squad as well, with her Florida-based club currently in the midst of their National Women’s Soccer League campaign.

Serie A players Emma Lipman and Rachel Cuschieri, whose teams Como and Sampdoria managed to salvage their top-flight status, are included.

Serie B player Kailey Willis, who is on the books of Chievo Verona and scored her first Malta goals in February’s friendly against Luxembourg, is part of the 31-player list. Another Serie B player in Maya Lucia is also selected with the former Raiders Lija player at the back of a spell at Genoa Women.

Ylenia Carabott of Serie C’s Spezia and Maya Cachia, who is also on the books of a Serie C club in Venezia – winners of the Serie C Coppa Italia on Sunday, were selected by Tesse as well.

A couple of England-based players in Maria Farrugia (Durham Women) and Emma Ciantar Piccinino (London Seaward) form part of the provisional squad too.

SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS
Patricia Ebejer (Mġarr United), Janice Xuereb (Birkirkara), Maya Cachia (Venezia, Italy), Raisa Costantino (Hibernians), Giulia D’Antuono (Raiders), Maria Abdilla (Mtarfa).

DEFENDERS
Rebecca Bajada (Mġarr United), Jessica Dimech (Swieqi United), Emma Lipman (Como, Italy), Jade Schembri (Swieqi United), Georgiana Mifsud (Raiders), Tammy Falzon (Swieqi United), Maia Debono (Mġarr United), Emma Xuereb (Swieqi United).

MIDFIELDERS
Brenda Borg (Mġarr United), Rachel Cuschieri (Sampdoria, Italy), Nicole Sciberras (Hibernians), Dorianne Theuma (Swieqi United), Shona Zammit (Swieqi United), Yulya Carella (Mġarr United), Chloe Ellul (Hibernians), Yolande Attard (Hibernians), Amy Busuttil (Hibernians), Maya Lucia (Genoa Women, Italy), Emma Ciantar Piccinino (London Seward, England).

FORWARDS
Maria Farrugia (Durham Women, England), Mariah Sciberras (Swieqi United), Kailey Willis (Chievo Verona, Italy), Ylenia Carabott (Spezia, Italy), Sarah Vella Barbieri (Raiders), Leah Ayres (Raiders).