March 1997

Mon 31

• World Cup Qualifier Malta vs Slovakia 0-2. Milorad Kosanovic's defensive plan worked to a certain extent, at least considering that his intention was to avoid a defeat with a big score. The Maltese National team lacked both Ivan Zammit and Silvio Vella suspended and Reggie Cini, Richard Buhagiar and Antoine Zahra all injured. Malta went one goal down towards the end of the first half in the 38th, in a moment where the Maltese went very close to scoring. Following a throw-in by David Carabott, the ball was adressed by Zeman towards fellow goalkeeper Vencel risking an own goal, with the goalie deviating into a corner. Gilberty Agius kicked with Nicky Saliba heading towards goal, missing the target by little. In a few seconds' time, the Slovaks counter-attacked, catching the Maltese defenders on the wrong foot. There was a through-pass by Lubomir Moravcik towards Tibor Jancula who in turn, sent the ball past Mario Muscat who was rushing out of the penalty area. In the second half, Malta went close twice through Joe Brincat, first with a shot from outside the penalty area saved by Vencel and then following a a good move between him and Gilbert Agius, ending in a goal disallowed by the referee for an offside. When it seemed that the match was going to end with a 1-0 defeat for Malta, during injury time Slovakia scored the second goal. Following a Moravcik corner from the left, Dusan Tittel had no difficulty to double the score.
• Rothmans Division 2/3 Knock Out St. George's vs Luqa SA 1-2, Siggiewi vs Balzan Y. 5-1. Therefore Third Division club Luqa St. Andrew's and Second Division club SIGGIEWI qualify for the Div. II/III Knock Out.
• Gozo - Freedom Day Cup Xewkija T. beat Kercem A. 3-2 with the 'golden goal' after a 2-2 draw after the 90 minutes.
• Ladies - Champioship Pool Mosta vs Gozo 1-1, Rabat Ajax vs Melita 3-0 Promotion Pool Ta' Xbiex vs Hibernians 0-2

Sun 30

• UEFA Under 21 Championship Malta vs Slovakia 0-6. A poor performance by the Maltese, who controlled their opponents for the first 26 minutes until conceding the first goal. Then it was only a matter of how many goals the Slovaks were going to score. The goals arrived in the 27th, 29th, 43rd, 50th, 58th and 73rd. Up to now the Under 21 team played five matches, losing them all, conceding 18 goals, scoring none.
• Gozo - Premier Xaghra U. vs Sannat L. 1-3
• Gozo - Division 1 Gharb R. vs SK Victoria W. 0-1

• Sat 29 Division 1 Sta Lucia vs Dingli S. 2-0, Marsa vs Zurrieq 2-2

• Division 3 Kirkop U. vs Kalkara U. 3-0, Attard vs Melita 2-5
• Gozo - Division 1 Munxar F. vs Qala SJ 1-1

Wed 26

• Pieta` Hotspurs coach Georgi Deanov was suspended for 4 months (up to the 25th July) by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner after being sent off in Pieta`'s match against Floriana.
• National coach Yugoslav Milorad Kosanovic chose a 17-man squad for the World Cup Qualifier against Slovakia. Kosanovic stated that if the Maltese performance would be similar to that against Hungary, Malta would suffer a defeat with a greater score than that of the match played in Slovakia. He also said that he wanted to include Carmel Busuttil in the squad but the former Malta captain declined the offer.

• Tue 25 Ladies - Championship Pool Lija A. vs Gozo FC 6-2, Rabat Ajax vs Mosta 5-0, B'Kara vs Melita 3-0

Mon 24

• Sliema midfielder Carmel Busuttil won the Player of the Month Award for February 1997.

Sun 23

• Premier Division Rabat Ajax vs Hamrun S. 0-2, Naxxar L. vs Sliema W. 0-0
• Division 1 St. Patrick vs Mellieha 1-0, Xghajra T. vs Ghaxaq 4-1
• Division 2 Zebbug R. vs Pembroke A. 1-0, Marsaxlokk vs Balzan Y. 2-1
• Division 3 Fgura U. vs Msida SJ 2-1, Sirens vs Ta' Xbiex 6-2
• Gozo - Premier Xaghra U. vs Victoria H. 2-1
• Gozo - Division 2 Kercem A. vs Marsalforn SP 1-0
• MFA Under 21 League Valletta FC won the Under 21 League Section A after beating B'Kara 5-0 with the goals coming from Jeremy Agius (3), Stefan Giglio and Ivan Woods.

Sat 22

• Premier League Hibernians vs Lija A. 3-2, Floriana vs Pieta` H. 3-1
• Division 1 Dingli S. vs Marsa 0-1, Mosta vs Tarxien R. 0-0
• Division 3 Sta. Venera L. vs Gharghur 3-0, Birzebbuga SP vs Zejtun C. 2-0
• Gozo - Premier Sannat L. vs Nadur Y. 3-2
• Gozo - Division 2 Oratory Y. vs St Lawrence S. 1-1

Wed 19

• English Premier side Nottingham Forest seem to be interested in strikers Gilbert Agius of Valletta and Antoine Zahra of B'Kara.
• In a friendly match, played at Ta' Qali, Hungary beat Malta 4-1 with goals by Florian Urban in the 17th, Gabor Halmai in the 40th, and two by Ferenc Orosz in the 65th and 87th. In the 77th, Malta reduced the score through an own goal by a Hungarian defender, who headed through past the goalkeeper. In the 23rd, Antoine Zahra was unlucky to hit the bar with a good header, following a cross by Hubert Suda.
• Rothmans Trophy Naxxar L. vs Pieta` H. 4-5 (after pen.), Mosta vs Zurrieq 4-0, Xghajra T. vs Ghaxaq 5-0
• Division 2 Gudja U. vs Gzira U. 1-1, Qormi vs Gozo FC 9-2
• Division 3 Senglea A. vs Attard 0-3, St. Andrews vs Kirkop U. 1-1
• Gozo - Division 1 SK Victoria Wanderers vs Xewkija T. 2-4, Qala SJ vs Gharb R. 5-0
• Ladies - Promotion Pool Hamrun S. vs Qormi 1-0, St. Patrick vs Ta' Xbiex 2-0

Tue 18

• Rabat Ajax goalkeeper Edmond Kela and St. Patrick midfielder Fatos Daja were chosen to form part of the 20-man squad of Albania for the two World Cup qualifiers due to be played in two weeks' time, one of which against Germany.
• The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended 5 players for one league match: Louis Azzopardi and Massimo Grima (Pieta` H.), Adrian Mifsud (Rabat A.), Darren Attard (Hibernians) and Ray Farrugia (Naxxar L.)
• Ladies - Championship Pool Gozo vs B'Kara 1-1, Melita vs Mosta 2-0 Relegation Pool Hibs vs PlanETS 2-0

Mon 17

• Ladies - Championship Pool Lija A. vs Rabat Ajax 3-1
• Former Luxol St. Andrews coach, Robert Kelly was appointed as Sliema Wanderers coach for the rest of the season. Kelly started this season with Pembroke Athleta in Division 2.

Sun 16

• Premier League Valletta vs B'Kara 3-1, Hibernians vs Sliema W. 0-2
• Division 1 Mellieha vs Sta. Lucia 3-1, Zurrieq vs Xghajra T. 1-1
• Division 2 Qrendi vs Vittoriosa S. 0-2, San Gwann vs Siggiewi 0-0
• Division 3 Sirens vs Mgarr U. 2-3, Fgura U. vs Luqa SA 1-2
• Gozo - Premier Ghajnsielem vs Sannat L. 1-1
• Gozo - Division 2 Kercem A. vs Zebbug R. 1-0

Sat 15

• Premier League Rabat Ajax vs Pieta` H. 1-0, Floriana vs Naxxar L. 1-0
• Division 1 Mosta vs St. Patrick 2-2, Tarxien R. vs Ghaxaq 3-0
• Division 3 Ta' Xbiex vs Melita 2-5, Msida SJ vs Kalkara U. 5-0
• Gozo - Premier Nadur Y. vs Xaghra U. 1-0
• Gozo - Division 2 St. Lawrence S. vs Marsalforn SP 3-1

Fri 14

• Valletta defender Stefan Giglio was included in the Maltese national squad for the friendly match against Hungary to be played at Ta' Qali on the 19th.

• Wed 12 Rothmans Trophy Rabat Ajax vs Hamrun S. 1-4

• The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended the following players for one league match: Justin Tellus (B'Kara), Albert Busuttil (Floriana), Charlie Scerri (Hibernians), Karim Glovia (Lija A.) and Graham Bencini (Naxxar L.)

Tue 11

• The 3-month suspension for Hamrun player Orazio Sorbello was now reduced to 3 league matches. He will therefore not lose the trophy match against Rabat.
• Ladies - Championship Pool Lija A. vs Melita 4-1, B'Kara vs Mosta 3-0 Promotion Pool Ta' Xbiex vs PlanETS 0-6

Mon 10

• The big clash of next Sunday between Valletta and B'Kara will be played under the patronage of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). The Valletta players will wear shirts displaying the UNESCO logo, instead of that of their sponsor. These will be auctioned following the match with all proceeds going to the Community Chest Fund.

Sun 9

• Premier League Hibernians vs Floriana 0-0, B'Kara vs Hamrun S. 3-0
• Division 1 Marsa vs Mellieha 3-0, Xghajra T. vs Dingli S. 2-0
• Division 2 Mqabba vs Marsaxlokk 0-0, St. George's vs Zebbug R. 3-0
• Division 3 Kirkop U. vs Birzebbuga SP 3-1, Attard vs Gharghur 6-1
• Gozo - Premier Division Xaghra U. vs Ghajnsielem 1-1, Nadur Y. vs Victoria H. 2-2

Sat 8

• Premier League Rabat Ajax vs Naxxar L. 0-1, Valletta vs Lija A. 3-0
• Division 2 Balzan Y. vs Qormi 1-5, Pembroke A. vs Gudja U. 5-1
• Sliema Wanderers coach Leli Fabri resigned following the disappointing results obtained by the Blues. The team captain, Carmel Busuttil will become the trainer.

Fri 7

• Ladies - Promotion Pool Qormi vs St. Patrick 3-1

Thu 6

• Sliema Wanderers captain, Carmel Busuttil will probably re-join the National Squad, this time not as a player but as assistant coach to Milorad Kosanovic.

Wed 5

• Hamrun player-coach Orazio Sorbello was suspended for three months (up to 4th June) following accusations of agression towards referee Lorry Sammut in Hamrun's last match against Pieta`. He will therefore lose the rest of the season. The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended also Alexander Ivanov (Pieta` H.), John Degorgio (Lija A.), Joe Camilleri (Valletta) and Michael Zammit (Hamrun S.) for one league match each.

Tue 4

• Ladies - Championship Pool Rabat Ajax vs B'Kara 3-1, Melita vs Gozo 0-1 Promotion Pool Hibernians vs Hamrun S. 1-1
• In a friendly match played at Hamrun, Hamrun Spartans lost 0-5 to Danish First Division side Ikast FS.

Mon 3

• Ladies - Championship Pool Lija A. vs Mosta 6-0
• Ex-St. George's and Mosta
• player from Bosnia, Adnan Krpo joined the Maltese-Australian club, Paramatta Eagles (formerly known as Melita Eagles).
• Floriana defender Richard Buhagiar was successfully operated at the CONI centre in Rome. However he will lose the rest of the season. Another international player, Valletta goalkeeper Reggie Cini will probably also lose the rest of the season because of torn ligaments of his right leg.

Sun 2

• Premier League Pieta` H. vs Hamrun S. 1-0, Sliema W. vs Valletta 1-2
• Division 1 Sta. Lucia vs Mosta 1-3, Ghaxaq vs Zurrieq 3-1
• Division 2 Siggiewi vs Gozo 4-0, Vittoriosa S. vs Gzira U. 1-3
• Division 3 Zejtun C. vs Fgura U. 0-0, Sta. Venera L. vs Sirens 1-0
• Gozo - GFA Cup Final Xaghra U. vs Victoria H. 3-4 (after 'golden goal' by Sabri Rais). Sabri Rais for Victoria Hotspurs scored 4 goals
• Gozo - Division 2 St. Lawrence S. vs Kercem A. 0-2

Sat 1

• Premier League Hibernians vs Rabat Ajax 6-3, B'Kara vs Lija A. 2-0
• Division 3 Kalkara U. vs St. Andrews 1-2, Melita vs Senglea A. 2-2
• Gozo - Division 1 Xewkija T. vs Munxar F. 1-2
• Gozo - Division 2 Zebbug R. vs Oratory Y. 4-0