Shaisen Attard, Aleandro Garzia in Malta provisional squad for Luxembourg tie

Malta national team head coach Emilio De Leo has selected a provisional squad of 31 players ahead of the crucial UEFA Nations League Play-Off matches against Luxembourg.

The first leg will be played at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium on Thursday, 26 March, while the return leg will take place in Luxembourg City on Tuesday, March 31, with both games starting at 6pm.

Promotion to League C of the next edition of the UEFA Nations League is at stake with Malta going all out to build on their strong performances in their final World Cup European qualifiers late last year.

The home UEFA Nations League Play-off encounter with Luxembourg on March 26 will be Malta’s first official outing since De Leo’s team wrapped up their 2026 World Cup Group G qualifying campaign with a stirring showing in a 3-2 home defeat to Poland following a memorable 1-0 victory away to Finland during the same November window.

A couple of new faces feature in the provisional squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League Play-Off matches, including youngster Shaisen Attard,of Ħamrun Spartans FC, and Aleandro Garcia, of Birkirkara FC.

Attard received a national team call-up in 2024, but this is his first selection under De Leo.

The squad also sees the return of Valletta FC duo Jake Azzopardi and Andrea Zammit together with former club-mate Keyon Ewurum, now on the books of Italian club Torino FC, and James Sissons, currently with Chesterfield FC.  

Carlo Zammit Lonardelli, of Floriana, also returns to the squad selected by De Leo.

Ħamrun Spartans player Joseph Mbong will miss the home fixture against Luxembourg as he must serve a one-match ban in the first leg.

De Leo’s selection also includes several experienced members, including an encouraging number of foreign-based players, who will be striving to guide and inspire their younger team-mates as Malta pursue promotion to League C.

Malta are contesting this UEFA Nations League Play-Off on the back of their second-place finish in Group D2 of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League while Luxembourg earned their play-off spot as one of the best fourth-placed teams from League C.

THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Henry Bonello (Ħamrun Spartans FC), Rashed Al Tumi (Sliema Wanderers FC), James Sissons (Chesterfield FC – ENG), Matthias Debono (Naxxar Lions FC).

Defenders: Zach Muscat (Chaves FC – POR), Juan Carlos Corbalan (Marsaxlokk FC), Kurt Shaw (Hibernians FC), Enrico Pepe (Marsaxlokk FC), Jean Borg (Sliema Wanderers FC), James Carragher (Wigan Athletic FC – ENG), Gabriel Mentz (Gżira United FC), Aleandro Garzia (Birkirkara FC), Ryan Camenzuli (Ħamrun Spartans FC), Myles Beerman (Floriana FC), Carlo Zammit Lonardelli (Floriana FC).

Midfielders: Matthew Guillaumier (Ħamrun Spartans FC), Brandon Diego Paiber (Valletta FC), Alexander Satariano (Athens Kallithea FC – GRE), Yannick Yankam (Valletta FC), Jake Azzopardi (Valletta FC), Teddy Teuma (Standard de Liege – BEL), Adam Magri Overend (Sliema W. FC), Jake Grech (Floriana FC).

Forwards: Joseph E. Mbong (Ħamrun Spartans FC)*, Paul Mbong (Floriana FC), Ilyas Chouaref (Sion FC – SUI), Shaisen Attard (Ħamrun Spartans FC), Irvin Cardona (AS Saint-Étienne – FRA), Trent Buhagiar (Tampines Rovers – SGP), Keyon Ewurum (Torino FC), Andrea Zammit (Valletta FC).

*suspended for the first-leg match against Luxembourg