Michael McArdle believes Malta will be in cup final mode in this evening’s World Cup qualifier in Malta.
McArdle began his reign as Northern Ireland senior women’s manager by guiding the team to a comprehensive win over the Maltese in Lurgan on Tuesday night.
However, he expects Malta to be a more potent force when the teams meet again at the Centenary Stadium in Ta’Qali (6 o’clock BST start) in part two of this month’s double header between the two countries.
Reflecting on the 4-0 win in Lurgan, he said: “I was really happy with our possession and how we played in the final third.
“Obviously we did really well on Tuesday from an outcome perspective, however we will be looking to improve in certain areas.”
The match in Lurgan brought a first win, and the team’s first points, in League B Group 2 of the European Qualifiers for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
The manager pointed out the players will face much different conditions in Ta’Qali compared to the cold and damp at Mourneview Park. The game will be played on an artificial pitch rather than grass and temperatures in Malta are expected to touch at least 20c this evening.
McArdle further said: “Malta have got everything to play for. It will be like a cup final for them as they try to stay in League B, so we need to be wary of that.”
It’s the fourth game of Northern Ireland’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifying campaign.
And McArdle is keen to build on that first B2 victory ahead of the final set of qualifiers against second-placed Turkiye (away) and table toppers Switzerland (home) in June.
He said there is a good spirt in the Northern Ireland squad following the strong performance earlier this week and he wants the players to go out and express themselves once again.
His team are currently in 50th place in the FIFA Coca-Cola World Rankings compared to Malta in 89th, but the manager knows rankings can sometimes be deceptive.
Before the game at Mourneview Park he called on his players to be patient and disciplined, to outwork their opponents and be clinical when chances arrive. He will be looking for more of the same at the Centenary Stadium in Ta’Qali.
Prior to Tuesday’s encounter the Northern Ireland boss also said the Maltese can pose a threat going forward – and that assessment has not changed.
Malta created very few chances in Lurgan, however Inter Milan striker Haley Bugeja showed glimpses of what she is capable of. At 21 she has already scored 24 goals and earned 45 caps for her country.
In the second half of the game at Mourneview Park she produced a fine goal-bound curler, however Northern Ireland keeper Jackie Burns managed to tip the ball onto the bar.
And Burns produced another great stop to push a Maria Farrugia strike on to the woodwork. Twenty-five-year-old Farrugia, a team-mate of Burns at WSL 2 side Bristol City Women, has scored 13 goals in 62 appearances for Malta.
This evening’s game is being shown live on the BBC Sport NI website and you can also follow it on Northern Ireland social channels.
