May 1998

Sun 31

• Women's Knock-Out Final Mosta vs Rabat Ajax 0-2

Sat 30

• Friendly Gozo FC vs Valletta FC 1-4. Ivan Woods with two goals, Hubert Suda and Nenad Veselji scored for the Citizens and Chris Camilleri replied for the Islanders.
• National coach Josip Ilic named the 18-man squad for Wednesday's friendly versus Wales. The following players were chosen: Muscat (Hibs); Barry, Sant Fournier, Turner, Busuttil (Sliema); Buhagiar (Floriana); Chetcuti, Debono, Giglio, Saliba (Valletta), Magri Overend, Brincat, Zahra, Nwoko (Birkirkara); Sixsmith (Naxxar), Sultana, D. Camilleri (Hamrun), Theuma (Pieta`). Daniel Theuma was included for the first time in the national squad.
• The building from scratch of the East Stand of the Ta' Qali National Stadium will cost between Lm 2 or 3 million Maltese Liri. The plans need first the approval of the Planning Authority. On the other hand, works on the West Stand involving the complete replacement of the metal sheeting covering the stand will cost around Lm 300,000.
• Sliema Wanderers could not negotiate any transfer of players before they pay the sum of around Lm1000 following a complaint by their former goalie Roderick Agius made in front of the Players' Complaint Board. In the mean time they were not granted permission to make use of five foreign players for the Intertoto Cup commitments. The Blues are trying to play the home fixture at the Hibernians Ground in Corradino and not the Gozo Stadium.

Fri 29

• Following the MFA Council meeting, it was decided that as from next season, Premier Division clubs will be allowed to have three foreign players (five for UEFA competitions), First Division clubs one foreigner while Second and Third Division clubs cannot have foreign players. However clubs which already have contracts with one or more foreigners will be exempted from this new regualation. Another decision is that as from next season, players over 35 years of age will not be allowed to register with Division 2 and 3 clubs in a move meant to give more room to younger players.
• One of Sliema's two player coaches, Martin Gregory, is to undergo an operation next month because of an ankle injury. This means that he will be unable to play in the UEFA Intertoto Cup qualifying matches.

• Thu 28

  Valletta FC were found guilty that some of there supporters chased one of the assistant referees and insulted him following the FA Trophy Final against Hibernians. They were given a suspended sentence for one year of having three points deducted from the Premier League.
• National coach Josip Ilic is expected to drop Valletta defenders Kris Laferla and Joe Camilleri from the national squad when he names the squad for next Wednesday's match versus Wales.

Tue 26

• Dingli midfielder Albanian Nefail Zhejani suffered serious injuries in a car accident in Mellieha. He was driving a Subaru, in which there were also his wife and son, when it collided with a truck.
• Chucks Nwoko (Birkirkara) was voted as the Player of the Month for May 1998

Sun 24

• Super Cup Valletta vs Hibernians 2-0
• Women's Knock-Out Semi Finals Birkirkara vs Mosta 1-2 aet, Rabat A. vs Planets G. 1-0
• Women's League Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Hamrun S. vs Floriana 0-1
• Gozo - Premier/Div. 1 Play-Off Xewkija T. vs Kercem A. 4-1
• Gozo - Super Cup Final Nadur Y. vs Victoria H. 2-1

Thu 21

• Rothmans Trophy Final Valletta vs Hibernians 1-2 Hibs win Rothmans Trophy
• Under 18 Inter Section Knock-Out Final Floriana vs Sta. Venera L. 2-1
• Welsh side Merthyr Tydfil and Sicilian side AS Mistretta (Interregionale) will take part in a tournament which will be held in June in Malta together with Sliema Wanderers and Valletta.
• Gozo - Super Cup Semi-Final Xaghra U. vs Victoria H. 1-2

Wed 20

• Antoine Zahra (Birkirkara) was voted as Player of the Month for April 1998.
• Naxxar defender Graham Bencini was included in the national squad by Malta national coach Josip Ilic.
• Gozo - Super Cup Semi-Final Nadur Y. vs Sannat L. 4-2 (after penalty shoot-out)

Sun 17

• Division 2 Championship Decider Gozo FC vs St. Andrews 2-1 - Gozo FC Division 2 Champions
• Division 2 Section A Relegation Decider San Gwann vs Sta. Venera L. 1-2 - San Gwann relegated
• Division 3 Championship Decider Mgarr U. vs Birzebbuga SP 2-3 - Birzebbuga SP Division 3 Champions
• Women's Knock-Out Planets vs St. Andrews 1-0, Hibernians vs Rabat A. 0-3, Birkirkara vs Lija A. 1-0

Fri 15

• Rothmans Trophy HIbernians vs Floriana 2-0
• Under 21 Inter-Section Championship Mosta vs Birkirkara 0-1 aet

Thu 14

• Rothmans Trophy Birkirkara vs Valletta 1-2 aet
• Gozo - Premier Xewkija T. vs Xaghra U. 2-1
• Under 16 Cassar Cup Final Floriana vs Sliema W. 0-0. Sliema win 3-1 on penalties.

Wed 13

• Two Valletta players won the Player of the Year Award by the two dailies In-Nazzjon and l-orizzont. Hubert Suda was voted as the best player by In-Nazzjon while Gilbert Agius was elected Player of the Year by l-orizzont.
• Gozo - Premier Ghajnsielem vs Victoria H. 3-0
• The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended the following players: Igor Stefanovic (Floriana), Claude Mangion (Hibs), Massimo Schembri (Pieta`), Joe Sant Fournier (Sliema)

Mon 11

• The Premier League 1998/99 will kick-off on Saturday 22nd August. The Lowenbrau Cup will be played on the 13th, 15th and 17th July while the Super 5 competition will be held on the 3rd and 6th August. The draws for the Premier League will be held on the 20th July
• Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia was appointed as the Malta Under 21 National Coach and Assistant Coach for the Maltese national team.

Sun 10

• Rothmans Trophy Pieta` H. vs Floriana 4-5 (after pens.), Hamrun S. vs Valletta 1-3 - Semi-Finals Draws: Birkirkara vs Valletta, Floriana vs Hibernians
• Division 2 Gudja U. vs St. Andrews 0-2, Mqabba vs Marsaxlokk 5-1 - St. Andrews promoted
• Division 3 Birzebbuga SP vs Ta' Xbiex 5-0, Zejtun C. vs Mgarr U. 1-3
• Women's Knock Out - Prel. Round Hamrun S. vs St. Andrews 1-2 aet, Rabat A. vs Qormi 5-0, Planets G. vs Mellieha 4-2 pen, Raiders vs Birkirkara 1-3
• Women's Knock Out - Quarter Finals Mosta vs Melita 6-0
• Gozo - Premier League Xaghra U. vs Ghajnsielem 4-1, Nadur Y. vs Xewkija T. 3-2

Sat 9

• Hibernians' mifielder Ndubisi Chuckinyere was suspended for six months after testing positive for a doping test back in February. The Paolites have already appealed from the sentence.
• Rothmans Trophy: Quarter-Finals Hibernians vs Tarxien R. 4-1, Birkirkara vs Sliema W. 2-1 aet
• Division 2 Gzira U. vs Qormi 1-0, Ghaxaq vs Vittoriosa S. 2-2
• Gozo - Division 1 Decider for Runner-Up position Kercem A. vs SK Victoria W. 3-2 aet (golden goal)
• Gozo - Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Div. 1/2 Qala SJ vs Oratory Y. 8-2

Fri 8

• The first rumours from the transfer market: Vlado Pejovic is understood to have told the club that he will be moving to another Premier club; Luke Dimech (Sliema) will probably leave the club while Hamrun players Wayne Attard and David Camilleri are requested by Pietà and Valletta respectively. The Spartans will have a new coach coming from Yugoslavia, Mijatovic, who played with Spanish First DIvision side. Meanwhile Naxxar's Brasilian striker Marco Manso will go to Spain for a trial with a second division side. The Lions are expected to confirm Michael Degiorgio as player-coach for next season.
• Although like Naxxar, Hamrun and Birkirkara, Valletta were due to be presented with about Lm4,300 each from the gate-money of the 3rd May matches, the Citizens will be fined a sum of around Lm1,900 because over 380 seats at the National Stadium were damaged by their supporters.

Wed 6

• The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended the following players for one Trophy match: Drasko Braunovic, Stefan Giglio and Hubert Suda (all Valletta), Ivan Zammit (Birkirkara) and Aldrin Muscat (Sliema). Patrick Fenech (Lija) and William Borg (Mellieha) were suspended 2 matches and one match respectively for next season's Division 1 League.

Tue 5

• Malta will play a friendly match against Germany on the 2nd September at Ta' Qali in preparation for the EURO 2000 qualifying round matches. Three days later, Germany meets Romania in another friendly match which will also be played at Ta' Qali.

Mon 4

• The following are the draws for the Rothmans Trophy Quarter Finals which will be played on the 9th and 10th May: Sat 9 Hibernians vs Tarxien R., Sliema vs Birkirkara; Sun 10 Pieta` H. vs Floriana, Hamrun S. vs Valletta
• Premier League Xghajra T. vs Hibernians 0-3
• The draws for the Women's Knock Out Preliminary Round are as follows: Hamrun S. vs St. Andrews, Rabat Ajax vs Qormi, Planets G. vs Mellieha, Raiders vs Birkirkara. The fixtures for the Quarter and Semi-Finals were also drawn

Sun 3

• Premier League Pieta` H. vs Tarxien R. 3-1, Sliema W. vs Floriana 4-1
• Division 1 Lija A. vs Mellieha 0-1, Rabat Ajax vs St. George's 3-0
• Division 2 Pembroke A. vs Sta. Lucia 3-1, Sta. Venera L. vs Gozo 2-2
• Division 3 Senglea A. vs Balzan Y. 1-5, Gharghur vs Msida SJ 2-2
• Gozo - Division 1 SK Victoria W. vs Munxar F. 8-1, Kercem A. vs Qala SJ 2-0

Sat 2

• Premier League Naxxar L. vs Hamrun S. 0-2, BIRKIRKARA vs VALLETTA 1-2 - Valletta Champions
• Division 1 Dingli S. vs Siggiewi 3-5, St. Patrick vs Marsa 6-1
• Division 3 Fgura U. vs Melita 2-1, Luqa SA vs Attard 0-1
• Gozo - Division 2 Zebbug R. vs Gharb R. 1-0, Oratory Y. vs Marsalforn SP 6-4

Fri 1

• MFA President Dr Joe Mifsud was elected as one of the three UEFA representatives to FIFA's Executive. The other two representatives are Norwegian Per Ravn Omdal and Spain's Angel Maria Villar Llona. Reuters, which described Dr Mifsud as "increasingly influential", reported that bigger countries like Germany weren't that happy since his election was mainly
• due to the support by smaller countries for Dr Mifsud.
• Women's League - Division 1 Hibernians vs Lija A. 0-3, Melita vs Birkirkara 0-3
• Women's League - Division 2 Raiders vs Floriana 3-2
• Gozo - Premier Xewkija T. vs Ghajnsielem 1-4, Nadur Y. vs Victoria H. 1-3. Xaghra United Champions