Basil Tuma Named in Malta’s Provisional Squad for International Fixtures

Basil Tuma’s remarkable rise continued this week as the Aldershot Town winger was named in Malta’s provisional 29-man squad for their upcoming international fixtures.

The 21-year-old only arrived at the EBB Stadium in the summer, joining from Reading, but has wasted little time making an impression. Eight appearances into his Aldershot career, he has helped drive the Shots into eighth place with 15 points and injected real pace and direct running into their attack.

That surge in form has not gone unnoticed at international level.

Born in Uganda, Tuma first pulled on a national shirt for his home country at the 2020 CECAFA Under-17 Championship, a stage that hinted at his potential but did not yet define his path. Two years later, the story took a sharp turn. In September 2022, he was called up by Malta’s Under-19s, switching his international allegiance and beginning a new chapter in his career.

The senior breakthrough followed. Tuma made his Malta debut in October 2024, coming on at half-time and immediately changing the game by winning a penalty. It was the kind of fearless cameo that sticks in a manager’s mind. Since then he has added seven more caps, steadily embedding himself in the squad.

Upcoming Fixtures

Now comes another important window.

Malta face a demanding run of three UEFA Nations League fixtures over the next two weeks. They open with a trip to Andorra on 24 September, a test of their resilience away from home. A friendly against Liechtenstein in Malta on 27 September offers a brief change of pace, a chance to fine-tune and to hand minutes to emerging players like Tuma.

Then the competitive edge returns. Gibraltar visit on 1 October in a Nations League tie that could carry real weight for Malta’s campaign, before Andorra make the return journey to Malta on 4 October.

For Tuma, every one of those dates is an opportunity: to tighten his grip on a place in the squad, to turn cameos into influence, and to show that the form ignited at Aldershot can carry onto the international stage.