Basil Tuma Named in Malta's Provisional Squad

Basil Tuma’s rapid rise continued on Thursday 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, signing from Reading, but has wasted no time making an impression. Eight appearances into his Aldershot career, he has helped drive the Shots up to eighth in the table on 15 points, his direct running and energy already central to their early-season push.

Tuma's Journey

Tuma’s story stretches far beyond the National League. Born in Uganda, he first pulled on national colours for his homeland at the 2020 CECAFA Under-17 Championship, before a switch of allegiance set him on a different path. Malta came calling at youth level in September 2022, when he stepped into their Under-19 set-up.

The senior breakthrough followed. In October 2024, Tuma made his Malta debut, introduced at half-time and immediately changing the tempo of the game, winning a penalty and underlining why the national coaches rate him so highly. Seven more caps have followed, underlining that this is no token call-up but a player firmly in the plans.

Upcoming Fixtures

Now comes another window, and another chance to cement his place.

Malta face a busy two weeks in the UEFA Nations League. They open with a trip to Andorra on 24 September, the start of a three-game stretch that will test both depth and resilience. A home friendly against Liechtenstein on 27 September offers a brief change of pace, then the competitive grind resumes.

• Gibraltar travel to Malta on 1 October
• Andorra make the return journey on 4 October to close out the block of fixtures

For Tuma, it is another stage, another set of eyes, another opportunity. From Uganda to Aldershot and now back into the international spotlight with Malta, his trajectory is clear enough: he is not done climbing yet.