Dylan Scicluna named in Malta U-21 squad for Belgium qualifier

Malta U-21 coach Ivan Woods named a 23-man squad ahead of their UEFA Championship qualifiers this week.

The Malta national team will be heading to Belgium to face the home side on Friday and then he will be facing Slovakia in an international friendly on Monday, March 25.

The Malta youngsters are still in search of their first points in the group and are bracing themselves for a tough challenge against the strong Belgian side.

Woods have brought into his squad Australia-based midfielder Dylan Scicluna.

The Western Sydney Wanderers player has joined the squad and is in line to play a leading role against the Belgians.

Scicluna is not a new face in the national teams set-up as he formed part of the Malta U-19 side that competed in the UEFA Championships that were held in Malta last summer.

Woods has also brought back into the squad two talented young players in Matthew Debattista, who has played a key role in helping his club Melita to promotion to the Premier League, and Kurt Briffa of Pieta Hotspurs.

The rest of the squad is made up of familiar faces who are slowly getting more valuable experience representing their country at this level.

THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Reeves Cini (Pieta’ Hotspurs), Mattias Debono (Naxxar Lions), Hugo Sacco (Hibernians).

Defenders: Matthew Ellul (Żabbar SP), Zean Leonardi (Pieta’ Hotspurs), Owen Spiteri (Floriana), Jake Vassallo (Mosta), Jake Micallef (Leixoes), Aleandro Garzia (Floriana), Karl Mohnani (Melita), Nikolai Micallef (Naxxar Lions), Kurt Briffa (Pieta’ Hotspurs).

Midfielders: Kurt Bondin (Żebbuġ Rangers), Andrew Borg (Gżira United), Dylan Scicluna (Western Sydney Wanderers), Matthew Debattista (Melita), Daniel Letherby (Santa Lucia), Gianluca Sciberras (Mosta).

Forwards: Mattia Veselji (Floriana), Andrea Zammit (Birkirkara), Jake Engerer (Sliema Wanderers), Basil Tuma (Reading), Brooklyn Borg (Gżira United).