BOV Amateur League II 2025/26 – Matchday 1 Round-Up

The BOV Amateur League II 2025/26 season kicked off with plenty of excitement, goals, and drama as teams began their campaigns with hopes of promotion. The opening round saw a total of six matches, featuring standout individual performances and nail-biting finishes.

Mdina Knights 4-2 Marsaskala

Sirens Stadium – Sunday Night

The season opener delivered fireworks as Mdina Knights secured a convincing 4-2 victory over Marsaskala in a six-goal thriller.

Mdina wasted no time making their intentions clear, striking after just six minutes through Ifeanyi Wisdom, who finished off a low cross with precision. Veteran striker Giovanni Galea doubled the lead only five minutes later with a simple tap-in on his debut.

Despite the fast start, the first half quietened down, but Matthew Borg sealed the three points for the Knights on 51 minutes with a superb finish. Marsaskala’s night worsened when captain Dale Valletta was sent off in the 70th minute for a second bookable offense.

Remarkably, the Southseasiders responded almost immediately as substitute Zack Agius pulled one back in the 72nd minute. However, Mdina restored their three-goal cushion just two minutes later, with Galea scoring a brilliant strike that cannoned off the post.

Marsaskala refused to give up and netted a second through Vivi-Gaetan Mahop on 81 minutes, but Mdina remained dominant and could have extended their lead further. The Knights walked away with three well-deserved points and a strong statement of intent for the season.

Siggiewi 2-1 Gharghur

Sirens Stadium – Saturday

Siggiewi edged out Gharghur in a closely contested battle, with a goal in each half proving decisive despite Gharghur’s late surge.

Gharghur nearly opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Sebastian Montero was denied by a superb point-blank save from Siggiewi keeper Leon Seisun. Siggiewi struck first in the 34th minute as Gabriel Calleja headed home from close range after a goalmouth scramble.

In the second half, substitute John Paul Delia doubled Siggiewi’s lead on 69 minutes, breaking into the box before smashing home a low shot past Gianluca Pisani.

Gharghur fought back and halved the deficit through Aaron Doda with nine minutes remaining. Despite late pressure, Siggiewi held firm to claim all three points.

Rabat Ajax 2-1 Ghaxaq

Sirens Stadium – Monday Night

Former third-tier side Rabat Ajax began their quest for promotion with a narrow 2-1 win over Ghaxaq in a tense, hard-fought encounter.

Ghaxaq had the first real chance in the second minute when Martin Busuttil shot wide when one-on-one with the keeper. Rabat took control on 36 minutes when Victor Mbata headed home from an Aidan Azzopardi free-kick.

Just a minute into the second half, Shylon Vella capitalized on a long goal kick, racing through to fire past Luke Attard and make it 2-0.

The game was delayed for over ten minutes due to a floodlight failure, and when play resumed, Ghaxaq pressed hard. Their persistence paid off in the 86th minute when a shot hit the upright, rebounded off Miguel Vella, and crossed the line for an unfortunate own goal.

Ghaxaq finished with ten men after Joao Octavio was sent off deep into stoppage time for violent conduct, leaving Rabat to celebrate a winning start.

Dingli Swallows 1-1 Ta’ Xbiex

Centenary Stadium – Monday Night

Two revamped squads went head-to-head, but it was Dingli Swallows who snatched a last-gasp equaliser against Ta’ Xbiex, denying them all three points.

Ta’ Xbiex dominated much of the first half, with Bledi Alla and Neil Borg coming close. Dingli improved as halftime approached, with Andie Sammut and Jake Bugeja missing good chances.

The breakthrough came on 66 minutes, when Alla finished off a superb pass from Jake Davies to give Ta’ Xbiex the lead. They looked set for victory, but Dingli struck at the death as Ronaldinho Daley pounced on a defensive mix-up to rescue a point.

Kalkara United 1-0 St George’s

Centenary Stadium – Monday Night

A 14th-minute goal by Miguel Simiana proved decisive as Kalkara United narrowly defeated rivals St George’s in a tense derby clash.

Kalkara started brightly, with Lucas Barcik missing a golden chance early on before Aaron Hili set up Simiana for the winning strike.

St George’s dominated the second half and came agonizingly close to equalizing late on, with Ryan Dalli and Nestor Canas both denied during a chaotic goalmouth scramble. Despite the pressure, Kalkara’s defence held firm to secure a vital opening victory.

Santa Venera Lightnings 1-3 Msida St Joseph

Mosta Ground – Sunday Night

Msida St Joseph produced a blistering first-half display to defeat Santa Venera Lightnings, with all four goals coming before the interval.

Star striker Taiwo Akindele opened the scoring in the 4th minute, coolly finishing after being given too much space. Santa Venera equalised on 22 minutes through a stunning top-corner free-kick from Ryan Agius, briefly raising hopes of a comeback.

Msida regained the lead seven minutes later via Nicky Attard Portugese, who tapped home from close range, before Akindele struck again just after the half-hour mark to make it 3-1.

The second half saw Santa Venera apply pressure, but Msida’s defence held firm, with goalkeeper Samuele Duzzi Nulli producing key saves. Akindele remained a constant threat, nearly completing a hat-trick.

With this commanding victory, Msida signaled they could be dark horses for promotion this season.

Matchday 1 Highlights

• Top Scorer: Taiwo Akindele (Msida St Joseph) – 2 goals

• Biggest Win: Mdina Knights 4-2 Marsaskala

• Late Drama: Dingli Swallows’ last-minute equalizer vs Ta’ Xbiex

• Surprise Package: Mdina Knights showing early promotion credentials

The opening weekend provided a thrilling start to the season, setting the tone for what promises to be a competitive race for the two coveted promotion spots.