MBABANE – Just 24 hours after drawing 1-1 with Eswatini, Malta were crowned UEFA Nations League Group D1 winners on Friday night.
While Thursday’s clash at Ta’ Qali National Stadium was an international friendly and the nations’ first-ever meeting, it set the stage for Malta’s celebrations. The following night, Andorra beat Gibraltar 2-0 in Encamp to leave Malta mathematically out of reach at the top of Group D1 with a match to spare, marking the first time they have topped their group in the competition.
Before those celebrations, however, Thursday night delivered an occasion that will live long in Eswatini football history. Playing their first-ever match on European soil against European opposition, Eswatini left with a famous result.
Despite suffering a major setback in the 29th minute when Gift ‘Jobe’ Gamedze was sent off for a foul on Keyon Ewurum, ten-man Eswatini stunned the hosts just before the break. Captain Philani ‘Mkasabuli’ Mkhontfo struck in first-half stoppage time to score Eswatini’s first-ever goal in Europe and hand the visitors a 1-0 half-time lead.
Malta Coach Emilio De Leo had rested several regulars ahead of Monday’s Nations League fixture, yet his half-time changes paid off immediately. Substitute Basil Tuma headed home from Joseph Mbong’s delivery just two minutes after the restart to level the score at 1-1.
Eswatini held firm for the remaining 43 minutes to secure a remarkable draw, particularly given that only four places separated the two nations in the FIFA rankings entering the tie. For Malta, the friendly served as a warm-up; for Eswatini, it was a historic landmark.
