Malta Crush Kazakhstan to Claim First World Cup Division II Victory

Malta’s national water polo team secured a commanding 19-7 victory over Kazakhstan at the National Pool, earning their first win in the World Cup Division II and restoring confidence after a tight 15-12 loss to Australia in their opener.

Despite the setback of losing captain Stevie Camilleri to a facial injury earlier in the day, coach Milan Cirovic’s side delivered a composed and clinical performance. Ivan Nagaev led the scoring with five goals, while Julian Valletta added a hat-trick. Luigi Dimech, Jake Cachia, Sam Engerer, and Elijah Schembri each netted twice, with further contributions from Benji Cachia, Jeremy Abela, and Darren Zammit.

Malta set the tone early, surviving an initial scare before racing to a 4-2 lead in the first session. Nagaev’s quick double in the second period widened the gap, and Valletta’s sharp finishing kept the momentum firmly in Malta’s favour.

The third session saw Malta completely overwhelm their opponents, stretching the lead to 16-6 with a flurry of goals. The final quarter was a formality, as the hosts closed out a convincing win.

Malta now turn their attention to Thursday’s clash against Romania, aiming to build on this strong response.

#MaltaDaily