Malta captain Emma Lipman did not hide her disappointment after Malta opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 3-0 defeat away to Türkiye.
Ranked 30 places above Malta in the FIFA standings, the Turkish side underlined their ambitions of reaching a first-ever major tournament with a commanding home performance.
The 3-0 victory not only secured three points but also handed them a strong early advantage in terms of goal difference in what is expected to be a tightly contested group.
For Lipman, however, the frustration stemmed less from the result itself and more from the manner of the performance.
The experienced defender, who has featured in both English and Italian football during her career, pointed out that Malta’s preparation had been positive in the build-up to the campaign. Yet, that work failed to translate onto the pitch in Istanbul.
“What went wrong? I think the most disappointing thing is that we had a good preparation and we did not show up as we quite intended to,” Lipman told the Times of Malta after the match.
“We might have had a lot of fear to play today. We did not show up and that is frustrating for us. Normally we fight, we show more courage. Türkiye were better than us and maybe we lost some confidence, especially having to chase the game.”
Indeed, Türkiye made a strong start and capitalised on early pressure, scoring twice in the first half to take firm control of the contest.
From that on, Malta were forced to pursue the game, something that inevitably opened spaces and shifted momentum further in favour of the hosts.
Still, Lipman was keen to underline that the performance was not without its brighter moments, particularly after the interval.
“There are always some positives,” she added.
“We were more focused in the second half. We had a good chance through Maria Farrugia and if we had scored to make it 2-1, maybe the game could have sparked into life for us.”
Malta did grow in confidence after the break, pushing higher up the pitch and showing more composure in possession. While Türkiye reduced their tempo with a two-goal cushion, they still managed to find a late third to seal the result.
“We need to keep working on those positives to improve,” Lipman continued. “There are still plenty of matches left in this tournament and time to grow. But most importantly, we need to show up,” Lipman said.
The captain also addressed the broader context in which Malta are competing. While the Turkish league continues to move towards a more professional set-up, with major Istanbul clubs investing heavily in their women’s sections, many Maltese players balance football with work or studies.
“Physically and technically, we have to be realistic,” Lipman said.
“More than half of the Maltese team are part-time players, and adapting to this level is not easy. But credit to the staff, who always help us train to reach these standards. Technically, we are improving, but in this game, we were inferior in both aspects.”
The defeat caps a difficult week for Maltese women’s football, following heavy losses for the U19s national team against Romania (5-0 and 8-1).
Attention now turns quickly to the next challenge, a home fixture against the Switzerland women’s national football team – widely regarded as the toughest test in the group.
