Hibernians and Floriana aim to win the Cup, but who will triumph?
Henry Brincat
Champions Hibernians and FA Trophy holders Floriana meet tomorrow in what should be a thrilling match for the Super Cup.
This is the annual fixture between the past season’s champions and Trophy winners and is being played at the National Stadium, commencing at 3pm. If the match ends in a draw, extra time will be played to be followed by penalties to determine the winners.
Addressing the press yesterday morning, the two coaches, Mark Miller of Hibernians and Nicholas Chiesa of Floriana, as well as team captains Clayton Failla and Steve Pisani, all said they will be doing their best to win the Cup.
Miller said that this match comes at the right time for his team, that is, following the weekend’s defeat at the death against title challengers Balzan. “It is a good chance for us to bounce back. We are taking this fixture very seriously and we will be doing our very best to win the Cup for the 4th time.
“I know that morale after a defeat could be low and we also know that our fans were not happy after the defeat against Balzan, even if our performance was good – we lost despite dominating that match. But we have already forgotten about it. We are now looking forward to tomorrow’s match.
“I am proud to say that I always want to win and be successful,” he said.
Team captain Clayton Failla said this match is very important for the club. “Not only do we want to get back on the winning track, but we also want to regain our confidence. I think we are ready to correct the errors committed against Balzan to try to win this match for a Cup. We are convinced we can win it,” he said.
Floriana coach Nicholas Chiesa, who made his debut for the Greens on Saturday with a 6-0 League win against bottom club Lija, is also conscious of the fact that this is an important match for his side.
He said: “A Cup is at stake and that shows there will be a certain amount of motivation for each side. We have been passing through some difficult days, but the victory against Lija showed that we are now ready to move forward. We also want to win the Cup for a second time,” said Chiesa.
The only time Floriana had won this trophy was way back in 1993 when Valletta were beaten 4-1.
The Greens coach added: “In 1994, Floriana had missed out against the same Hibs losing 5-4 on penalties after extra time. Now we have the chance to win it again and we will also be doing our best to achieve an important victory,” he added.
Asked about the injury to Ingazio Valera on Saturday, Chiesa said they still have to see how long he will be out of the game. “We have not yet been ascertained about his injury, but I am sure his substitute will do his best to emulate him. I will only be naming him tomorrow, before the match. However, all the other players are available,” he said.
Chiesa also said that an eventual victory will be dedicated to Valera. “We will play to win it for him. We also want this cup for ourselves, the club and the fans,” he added.
Captain Steve Pisani is also aware of the difficult clash facing his club tomorrow. “It is a very important match for both sides, but after our win against Lija, I feel we have won back our confidence.
“After the FA Trophy elimination, we passed through difficult moments, but at present, the situation at the club is stable and our only interest now is that of winning tomorrow’s match. If a victory comes along, I cannot see Floriana out of the title race with a whole second round still to be played,” he said.