Kenny seeks Maltese comfort to end year on positive
Malta's Ta'Qali National Stadium is assured of its place in Irish football folklore.
The venue may not immediately spring to mind when compared to the events that transpired at Stuttgart, Genoa and New Jersey's Giants Stadium, but on a November afternoon in 1989 two John Aldridge goals secured World Cup qualification for the first time.
The Irish starting 11 of Bonner, McGrath, O'Leary, Moran, Staunton, Houghton, Whelan, Townsend, Sheedy, Aldridge and Cascarino clearly illustrates the strength available to Jack Charlton at the time.
As we all know there's no future in history. Thirty-three years on from that famous win, the class of 2022 play their final game of the calendar year at Malta's National stadium. Suddenly its importance is very real.
Under interim manager Gilbert Agius, Malta were denied a famous win over Greece on Thursday evening.
A late equaliser from substitute Taxiarchis Fountas earned Greece, managed by Gus Poyet, a 2-2 draw. It's worth noting that Greece are only ranked three places below the Republic of Ireland.
Agius is a legendary figure in Maltese football having won 119 caps. He recently stepped up from his role as U-21 manager for Malta's November friendlies.
Coupled with Thursday's encouraging performance his team beat Northern Ireland home and away in the recent qualifying campaign for the 2023 European Championships.
The resignation of his predecessor Devis Mangia was accepted by the Executive board of the Maltese FA. Mangia had been suspended after accusations of improper conduct from two national team players. In a statement Mangia denied any wrongdoing and said his decision to resign was made "after long deliberation".
Malta's most recent UEFA Nations League campaign yielded two wins, home and away