Floriana will face Welsh side Haverfordwest County in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round, a crucial tie in the club’s European campaign.
Last season, Floriana progressed past the first round of the same competition after defeating Tre Penne of San Marino, but were later eliminated by Portuguese side Vitoria Setubal. Domestically, the Greens topped the regular season of the 360 Sports Malta Premier League, only to fall short in the decisive semi-finals.
This year, however, the Maltese club is aiming to leave nothing to chance. Determined to make it past the opening stage, Floriana will be looking to capitalize on what appears to be a favourable draw. Haverfordwest County are relatively unknown on the European stage, especially when compared to more established Welsh sides like The New Saints.
Haverfordwest County AFC, founded in 1899, are based in the town of Haverfordwest in Wales. Over the years, the club has been known by several names—including Haverfordwest FC, Haverfordwest Town, and Haverfordwest Athletic—before adopting its current title. Until recently, their squad included Maltese international defender Luke Tabone.
In the 2023–24 season, the Bluebirds finished third in the Welsh Premier League with 51 points—27 behind champions The New Saints and 13 behind runners-up Penybont. It was the club’s highest-ever league finish since they first competed in the top division in 2003–04.
This marks only the third time that Haverfordwest are participating in European competitions. In 2004, they were eliminated in the UEFA Cup by Icelandic side FH with a 4–1 aggregate score. More recently, in 2023, they qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League, defeating North Macedonia’s Shkendija on penalties after a 1–1 aggregate draw, before losing to B36 of the Faroe Islands 3–2 on aggregate.
Floriana have been preparing with a series of friendly matches, fielding a significantly revamped squad under new Portuguese coach Daniel Portela da Silva. New signings include Mustapha Jah, Charles Mbowbma, Lucas Lopez, Todor Glisovic, Guilherme Cioletti, Federico Varela, Rui Areias, Iago Mendonça, and Mattias Veselji, among others, reinforcements brought in to ensure the club is ready for this key European tie.
The first leg will be played today at the newly-refurbished Centenary Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
