Watch: Malta coach De Leo lauds team’s heart in stunning Finland win

Maltese football fans woke up with a huge smile on their face following the national team’s impressive victory over Finland in a World Cup qualifier in Helsinki.

A Jake Grech goal with nine minutes to go handed Malta their first win in Group G which meant that they not only moved on the five-point mark but also they leapfrogged Lithuania into fourth place in the group.

For the national team, Friday’s result was a major lift-off as it represented their first ever win in a World Cup qualifier since defeating Armenia 1-0 in Yerevan in 2013.

Added to that, with five points on the board, Emilio De Leo’s team has matched the record number of points attained in a qualifying campaign achieved by his predecessors Dusan Fitzel and Devis

Mangia.

Should Malta manage to avoid from finishing bottom of the group, it will be the first time our country has achieved that feat since the 1994 World Cup qualifiers, when the team was under the charge of Pippo Psaila.

Coach De Leo was visibly delighted with the effort put in by his players and lauded the team’s heart and resilience to achieve such a remarkable victory.

“There is great joy at the moment as we have battled so hard to get this win,” De Leo told the Times of Malta.

“All matches in our qualifying campaign have been tough and we needed to battle hard. But from the first minute I also had the impression that this could be our day. I believe that we deserved this win for everything the team has put in during the qualifying campaign.

“There were several matches where we deserved much more, such as the two games against Lithuania and also the first match against Finland at the National Stadium. However, we never let our heads drop, because in the end we reaped the rewards of our efforts, and this time we managed to bring home the three points.”

Goalkeeper Henry Bonello was without doubt Malta’s hero on Friday, as the Ħamrun Spartans goalkeeper effected a string of fine saves that kept the team afloat, but De Leo heaped praise on all the players.

“We have always banked a lot on our team spirit,” the Italian coach said.

“It has been one of our strengths and when the going gets tough, the players always show great heart. Obviously, Henry Bonello produced a great performance, but one must also praise our defenders who remained disciplined and also those who came on as late subs, Gabriel Mentz, Jake Grech and Andrea Zammit have shown great hunger to help us see us through

“My biggest satisfaction is the fact that this win has rewarded all the players and technical staff for all the hard work we have put in during the past months.

“Obviously, when you win, it injects a lot of positivity, and hopefully we can produce another positive showing against Poland on Monday.”