Malta women’s national team coach Manuela Tesse drew several positives from her side’s second successive defeat in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers, insisting the performance against Switzerland showed clear signs of progress.
Malta lost 4-1 to Switzerland, the side ranked 25th in the world, but the Maltese displayed far more resilience and competitiveness compared to their opening match against Turkiye.
Facing the Swiss was always expected to be a daunting challenge for Malta. Realistically, any points taken from such a fixture would have been considered a bonus, with Malta’s direct battles in the group expected to come against Türkiye and Northern Ireland.
Attention now shifts to April’s clash with Northern Ireland, a fixture that could prove decisive for Malta’s hopes of finishing third in the group. A third-place finish would send Malta into the World Cup play-offs, although it would not necessarily guarantee that they retain their place in the second tier of the competition.
Both Malta and Northern Ireland have lost their opening two matches, while Switzerland and Türkiye have already opened a six-point gap at the top of the standings.
Despite the defeat, Tesse was encouraged by the team’s reaction, particularly after Malta conceded two early goals.
The Maltese responded with determination and managed to pull a goal back in the 19th minute, briefly unsettling the hosts.
“Was it more positive today? Of course,” Tesse told the Times of Malta after the match.
“Against Türkiye, I don’t know exactly what happened. It was probably pressure because we trained very well before that match. On the other hand, Türkiye are a very good team, but conceding early in Istanbul really affected us.”
The early setback against Switzerland was similar, but this time Malta reacted better.
“Yes, the reaction was much better,” Tesse explained.
“We also introduced some players with more power and aggressiveness rather than just technical qualities, like Nicole Sciberras and Shona Zammit.”
Zammit, who has been recovering from injury in recent months, came on for the final 30 minutes, while Sciberras remained on the bench despite starting the previous match against Türkiye.
The Hibernians midfielder had picked up a yellow card in Istanbul and, with another booking leading to an automatic suspension, Tesse opted for caution.
“I didn’t bring Sciberras on later in the game because she is already on a yellow card,” the Malta coach said.
“We tried Yulya Carella as a full-back considering Maya Lucia’s injury. At the moment we are trying to develop this team for the future and I think that in the next three or four years this team can become very good.”
Tesse also revealed that Sara Saliba had been in line to feature but picked up an injury shortly before the match.
“We were also planning to play Sara Saliba, but she got injured today (on Matchday),” she said.
The match also saw youngster Emma Flannery handed her first start for the senior national team. The US-based player, who currently plays high school football, is set to move to NCAA football this summer.
Tesse admitted the youngster may have been slightly overwhelmed by the occasion but believes she remains a promising addition to the squad.
“She is still very young and coming from the U19s. Maybe she was a bit scared to be more adventurous with the ball, but she is definitely a valuable addition to the team,” Tesse said.