Melita and Birżebbuġa St Peter’s face off in Challenge Cup final

The two sides will meet at the National Stadium on Sunday morning at 11am, as they seek to lift the prestigious trophy.

This will be the second time that the competition will be held, after Pietà Hotspurs FC won the inaugural edition last season.

This year’s edition contained a total of 23 clubs, as teams from the BOV Challenge League were also joined by clubs from the Gozo Football League First Division.

This initiative was done as part of a partnership with VisitGozo. Through this partnership, the semi-finals of the competition, which coincidentally featured two Gozitan clubs in Xewkija Tigers FC and SK Victoria Wanderers, were held in Gozo.

For Birżebbuġa St Peter’s the final represents a perfect opportunity to transform this season into a remarkable campaign as after securing promotion to the Premier League they will have the opportunity to win a second Cup competition.

Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Birżebbuġa coach Edgar Degabriele remarked that this is an important final both for himself and for the club.

“We are looking towards this match with optimism,” he said.

“While we are just coming off the back of two matches which had to be decided through extra-time, and we are still waiting for some players to return from injury, the most important target for us is to secure this prestigious honour for the club.

“We have instilled a winning mentality within the club. While some players will be injured, there are others who have featured heavily in this competition, and their place in the squad is merited.

“We know that we will be facing a very organised side, and we must be tactically prepared.”  

Melita has come short in their bid to win promotion to the Premier League and sees the BOV Challenge Cup as a perfect opportunity to end the campaign in the best possible way.

“This is an important honour for clubs from the BOV Challenge League, and we are optimistic that we can reach that goal. I want us to finish the season strong,” he said.

“We know that we will be facing a tough team that we have met on a number of occasions this season. Each player, coach, fan, and staff member would want to be part of such matches. At the end of the day, the best team wins.”

Both coaches highlighted the value of the BOV Challenge Cup, particularly in giving second-tier teams increased prominence, and were pleased that the final will be played at the National Stadium, with Football Video Support (FVS) also in place, which is a key milestone.

They also called upon supporters to come to the National Stadium and to show their support for their respective teams, knowing that their support will be vital in helping them get over the line.

Melita captain Jean Pierre Attard has talked up the importance of the BOV Challenge Cup as it provides a new challenge for second-tier teams.

“For me, the fact that we have a competition where teams from the second tier can reach the final stages is something special, as it is not something that happens frequently,” Attard said.

“I believe that such a competition is something to cherish as players, and at the end of the day, it allows us to have more competitive games.”  

Attard added that the team prepares for each game with the ultimate goal of winning every game, and he emphasised that in a final, anything can happen, so the players have to be ready from the first whistle.

On his part, Julian Azzopardi, the Birżebbuġa St Peter’s goalkeeper, made it clear that the Saints are still hungry for more success and their goal is clearly to bring the trophy back to the club, come today.

“While we had difficult matches towards the end of the season, we rallied together and got over the line in the league and in previous rounds of this competition. Everyone is taking the BOV Challenge Cup very seriously and while it has been a test physically, everyone at the club wants to bring the trophy home,” Azzopardi said.

“For many players, this will be the first time playing at the National Stadium. While we know we will be facing a tough team, we are prepared and will do everything we can to secure the win.”