2022–23 Maltese Challenge League
| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 26 August 2022 – 23 April 2023 |
| Champions | Sliema Wanderers |
| Promoted | Sliema Wanderers Naxxar Lions |
| Relegated | Marsaskala Mqabba Mtarfa Qrendi San Gwann Vittoriosa Stars |
| Matches played | 252 |
| Goals scored | 662 (2.63 per match) |
| Top goalscorer |  Aroldo Da Silva Arruda (23 Goals) |
| Biggest home win | Fgura United 6-1 Vittoriosa Stars (8 December 2022) |
| Biggest away win | Mqabba 0-6 Fgura United (29 August 2022) Vittoriosa Stars 0-6 Naxxar Lions (20 December 2022) |
| Highest scoring | Swieqi United 5-5 Mqabba (10 December 2022) |
| Longest winning run | Sliema Wanderers (15 Games) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Sliema Wanderers (27 Games) |
| Longest winless run | Mtarfa (10 Games) |
| Longest losing run | Mtarfa (10 Games) |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → All statistics correct as of 23 April 2023. | |
The 2022–23 Maltese Challenge League (referred to as the BOV Challenge League for sponsorship reasons) is the second-level league football in Malta. It is the third season that the competition has been running in its present form.[1][2][3]
Team changes
[edit]The following teams have changed division since the 2021–22 season:
To Maltese Challenge League[edit]Promoted from Maltese National Amateur League Relegated from the Maltese Premier League | From Maltese Challenge League[edit]Promoted to the Maltese Premier League Relegated to Maltese National Amateur League
|
Teams
[edit]
Eighteen teams will compete in the league which will include the Four teams promoted from the Amateur League and one team relegated from the Premier League. This Season will be playing only one round. After the first round, the top six will play each other twice to determine whether to win the Challenge League, be promoted, or stay in Challenge League next season. And those who finish seventh till eighteenth in the first round will play once in Play-Out to determine who will stay in Challenge League or have either been relegated.
Venues
[edit]On 21 December 2022. The Malta Football Association introduce another stadium at Luxol Stadium in Pembroke due to the final fixture of the first round that played three matches at the same time. On 21 December 2022. The Malta Football Association introduce another stadium at Sirens Stadium in San Pawl il-Baħar due to the final fixture of the season that is playing four matches at the same time.
| Ta' Qali | Hamrun | Pembroke | San Pawl il-Baħar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centenary Stadium | Victor Tedesco Stadium | Luxol Stadium | Sirens Stadium | |
| Capacity: 3,000 | Capacity: 1,962 | Capacity: 600 | Capacity: 800 | |
 |  |  |  |
League table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sliema Wanderers | 17 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 10 | +30 | 47 | Qualification for the Top Six |
| 2 | Naxxar Lions | 17 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 40 | 15 | +25 | 41 | |
| 3 | Żejtun Corinthians | 17 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 35 | 22 | +13 | 33 | |
| 4 | Tarxien Rainbows | 17 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 34 | 19 | +15 | 32 | |
| 5 | Żurrieq | 17 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 33 | 28 | +5 | 29 | |
| 6 | Melita | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 29 | 22 | +7 | 26 | |
| 7 | Fgura United | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 41 | 25 | +16 | 25 | Qualification for the Play-Out |
| 8 | Marsa | 17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 24 | |
| 9 | Swieqi United | 17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 33 | 31 | +2 | 24 | |
| 10 | St. Andrews | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 27 | −4 | 22 | |
| 11 | Lija Athletic | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 28 | 32 | −4 | 20 | |
| 12 | Attard | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 30 | −11 | 19 | |
| 13 | San Ġwann | 17 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 34 | −14 | 18 | |
| 14 | Marsaskala | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 28 | 39 | −11 | 15 | |
| 15 | Mqabba | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 36 | −15 | 15 | |
| 16 | Qrendi | 17 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 19 | 36 | −17 | 14 | |
| 17 | Mtarfa | 17 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 28 | −17 | 14 | |
| 18 | Vittoriosa Stars | 17 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 38 | −24 | 10 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions or teams for relegation).
Results
[edit]Second phase
[edit]Top Six
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation | SLI | NXR | ZEJ | TAR | MEL | ZUR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sliema Wanderers (C) | 27 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 15 | +51 | 75 | Promotion to the 2023–24 Maltese Premier League | — | 3–1 | 6–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 5–0 | |
| 2 | Naxxar Lions (P) | 27 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 58 | 28 | +30 | 60 | 0–2 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–5 | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Żejtun Corinthians (Q) | 27 | 15 | 2 | 10 | 51 | 45 | +6 | 47 | Qualification for the Promotion play-offs | 1–3 | 1–2 | — | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–1 | |
| 4 | Tarxien Rainbows | 27 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 55 | 32 | +23 | 46 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 2–3 | — | 3–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 5 | Melita | 27 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 42 | 36 | +6 | 34 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | — | 0–1 | ||
| 6 | Żurrieq | 27 | 10 | 2 | 15 | 38 | 59 | −21 | 32 | 0–1 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 2–5 | 0–3 | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions or Promotion play-offs).
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Play-Out
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation | SWQ | FGU | STA | LJA | ATT | MSA | SGN | QRE | MRK | MQA | VIT | MTF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Swieqi United | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 53 | 38 | +15 | 50 | — | 2–2 | — | — | — | 3–0 | 2–0 | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 8 | Fgura United | 28 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 57 | 39 | +18 | 41 | — | — | 2–0 | — | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | — | — | 1–1 | ||
| 9 | St. Andrews | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 37 | 40 | −3 | 40 | 0–0 | — | — | 1–3 | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | — | 2–2 | — | — | 2–1 | ||
| 10 | Lija Athletic | 28 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 51 | 54 | −3 | 39 | 0–4 | 4–2 | — | — | — | 0–1 | — | 4–5 | — | 3–2 | 4–3 | — | ||
| 11 | Attard | 28 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 39 | 45 | −6 | 37 | 3–0 | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–2 | — | — | 5–2 | ||
| 12 | Marsa | 28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 40 | 42 | −2 | 35 | — | 1–3 | 0–2 | — | 1–2 | — | 1–2 | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | ||
| 13 | San Gwann (R) | 28 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 33 | 45 | −12 | 34 | Relegation to the 2023–24 Maltese National Amateur League | — | — | — | 2–0 | — | — | — | 0–1 | 1–1 | — | 0–1 | 2–1 | |
| 14 | Qrendi (R) | 28 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 38 | 52 | −14 | 31 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | — | 2–2 | — | — | — | 0–1 | 2–2 | — | ||
| 15 | Marsaskala (R) | 28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 50 | 57 | −7 | 29 | — | — | — | 1–3 | — | 3–1 | — | 1–3 | — | 5–0 | 3–1 | — | ||
| 16 | Mqabba (R) | 28 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 29 | 56 | −27 | 22 | — | 1–2 | 0–1 | — | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 17 | Vittoriosa Stars (R) | 28 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 27 | 57 | −30 | 22 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | — | 1–3 | 1–4 | — | — | — | 0–0 | — | — | ||
| 18 | Mtarfa (R) | 28 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 45 | −24 | 21 | — | — | — | 0–1 | — | — | — | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Play-offs (only if needed to decide teams for relegation).
(R) Relegated
Promotion or Relegation play-offs
[edit]A play-offs match shall be played between the twelfth-placed team in the Premier League, Santa Lucia, and the third-placed team in the Maltese Challenge League, Żejtun Corinthians. The winner will play in the 2023-24 Maltese Premier League.
| 28 April 2023 | Santa Lucia (1) | 2–0 | Żejtun Corinthians (2) | Ta' Qali |
| 19:00 CEST |
| Stadium: Centenary Stadium Referee: Fyodor Zammit |
Season statistics
[edit]Top scorers
[edit]- As of 23 April 2023
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aroldo Da Silva Arruda | Fgura United | 23 |
| 2 |  Robinson Blandon Rendon | Naxxar Lions | 18 |
| 3 |  Rundell Winchester | Marsaskala | 17 |
| 4 | Duvan Mosquera Torres | Lija Athletic | 16 |
 Lydon Micallef | Sliema Wanderers | ||
| 6 | Adrian Carabott | Marsaskala | 15 |
| Claudio Antunes Pavlidis | Qrendi | ||
| 8 |  Hiroya Konno | Melita | 14 |
| Joao Vitor de Oliveira Florencio | Żurrieq | ||
| 10 | Edson Cerqueira Farias | Naxxar Lions | 12 |
| Andre Carlos Penha da Costa | Żejtun Corinthians |
Hat-tricks
[edit]| Player | For | Against | Result | Stadium | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aroldo Da Silva Arruda | Fgura United | Mqabba | 6–0 (A) | Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali | 29 August 2022 |
| Melita | 4–2 (A) | Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun | 8 September 2022 | ||
| Hiroya Konno | Melita | Attard | 4–2 (A) | 11 September 2022 | |
| St. Andrews | 6–2 (H) | 2 October 2022 | |||
| Matheus De Lucena Guariento | San Gwann | Vittoriosa Stars | 3–0 (H) | ||
| Hiroya Konno | Melita | 4–0 (A) | Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali | 9 October 2022 | |
| Nicholas Schembri | Attard | Mtarfa | 3–1 (H) | 5 November 2022 | |
| Lucas Matheus Dos Santos | Mqabba | Swieqi United | 5–5 (H) | 10 December 2022 | |
| Pavlidis Claudio Antunes | Qrendi | Mtarfa | 3–2 (H) | 18 December 2022 | |
| Fgura United | 4–3 (H) | Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun | 21 December 2022 | ||
| Aroldo Da Silva Arruda | Fgura United | Żejtun Corinthians | 4–1 (H) | 7 January 2023 | |
| Joao Vitor De Oliveira Florencio4 | Żurrieq | Lija Athletic | 5–1 (H) | Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali | 8 January 2023 |
| Robinson Blandon Rendon | Naxxar Lions | Żurrieq | 3–0 (H) | 5 February 2023 | |
 Suleiman Jalu | Qrendi | Attard | 4–1 (A) | Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun | 25 February 2023 |
| Duvan Mosquera Torres | Lija Athletic | Vittoriosa Stars | 4–3 (H) | 5 March 2023 | |
| Robinson Blandon Rendon | Naxxar Lions | Żurrieq | 5–0 (A) | Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali | 8 April 2023 |
| Hiroya Konno | Melita | Naxxar Lions | Luxol Stadium, Pembroke | 22 April 2023 |
- Notes
4 Player scored 4 goals
Clean sheets
[edit]| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rashed Al-Tumi | Sliema Wanderers | 11 |
| 2 | Yenz Cini | Naxxar | 10 |
| 3 | Jean Claude Debattista | Swieqi United | 9 |
| 4 | Miguel Montfort | St. Andrews | 8 |
| 5 | Julian Azzopardi | Fgura United | 7 |
| Ryan Caruana | Melita | ||
| Sean Mintoff | Żejtun Corinthians/Qrendi | ||
| 8 | Zach Valletta | Attard | 6 |
| 9 | Nicholas Vella | Marsa | 5 |
| Jean Mattiase` Vella | Mtarfa | ||
| Matthias Debono | Tarxien Rainbows | ||
| Christian Cassar | Vittoriosa Stars |
Discipline
[edit]Club
[edit]- Most yellow cards: 82
- Most red cards: 7