Malta FA Jubilee Cup Review: Valletta and Sliema secure narrow wins, Zabbar ease past Zebbug, Tarxien win on penalties

Photos by Owen Damato, Malta FA

MALTA FA JUBILEE CUP
QUARTER-FINALS

Mosta 0-2 Sliema Wanderers
On Saturday afternoon at the Centenary Stadium, Sliema Wanderers were the first team to reach the semi-finals of the Malta FA Jubilee Cup, powered by Enemed, as they scored twice in the second half to beat Mosta 2-0.

Mosta 0-2 Sliema Wanderers - 29.11.2025 - Photo by Owen Damato - Malta FA

Mosta threatened with an Aiden Agius header which was saved by Rashed Al-Tumi on six minutes, but Sliema soon held the upper hand, going close with a Vito Plut effort from the right which was saved by goalkeeper Anse Ngoubi Dembar on 16 minutes. Four minutes later, a Fernandinho effort from outside the area was saved following a deflection. Jean Borg tried his luck with a cross shot which was parried by the Mosta custodian on 31 minutes. Mosta hit back with a low Zachary Brincat effort which was saved by the Sliema custodian on 41 minutes and two minutes later, Matthew Bolanos hit just wide off a corner from the left. 

11 seconds in the second half, Sliema managed to take the lead thanks to a diagonal shot by Fernandinho from the right which beat goalkeeper Ngoubi Demba. The Wanderers maintained the pressure and Miguel Baggio, served by Plut on the left, had a shot blocked by the Mosta custodian. Sliema doubled on 62 minutes when Roko Prsa’s corner from the right, deflected by goalkeeper Ngoubi Demba, hit the crossbar and Fernandinho served Miguel Baggio who placed the ball at the back of the net. Mosta went close to reducing the gap on 74 minutes when off a Leo Fernandes corner, Joao Victor hit just wide.

Zabbar St Patrick 8-0 Zebbug Rangers
In the late Centenary Stadium fixture on Saturday, Zabbar St. Patrick found no difficulty in beating the only Challenge League side left in the competition, Zebbug Rangers, with an emphatic 8-0 score. Aniello Parisi’s side dominated from start to finish, scoring twice within the first nine minutes and going six goals ahead by the end of the first half, adding another two goals after the break. 

Zabbar St Patrick 8-0 Zebbug Rangers - 29.11.2025 - Photo by Owen Damato - Malta FA

Zabbar managed to take the lead on eight minutes when off an assist from the left by Brian Gambarte, Jake Micallef slotted the ball past goalkeeper Jake Scicluna.  Three minutes later, Zabbar added their second when Jurgen Pisani served Haroun Tchaouna who hit low past the Zebbug goalkeeper. The Saints made it 3-0 on 16 minutes when off a cross from the left by Nicholas Agius, Mayron headed home.

On 25 minutes, Jake Micallef was unlucky to hit the crossbar with a header with the ball being cleared into a corner and from the resulting corner from the left, Mayron hit home from close range to collect an unusual brace. Three minutes later, Pedro Cejas scored the fifth goal with a direct free kick from just outside the area.  Two minutes in added time, Abu Dumbuya made it 6-0 for Zabbar when he beat Scicluna from close range after being released into the area by Cejas with two defenders failing to clear the ball into safety. 

The match went down a gear after the break but still St Patrick added two more goals, albeit from penalties. On 63 minutes, Agius converted a penalty after Christian Grech handled the ball inside the area while six minutes from time, substitute Timothy Eviparker converted another penalty after Tchaouna was brought down inside the area by Matthew Ayres.

25 years ago, St Patrick also reached the Semi-Finals of another one-off competition, the Centenary Cup, being beaten 3-0 by the eventual winners, Valletta.

Valletta 2-0 Hamrun Spartans
After Hamrun defeated Valletta in the Malta Premier a week earlier, Valletta took sporting revenge on the Spartans on Sunday night at the National Stadium, as this time it were the Citizens who came out victors with a goal in each half. Therefore, Valletta secured a place in the semi-finals, setting up a tie with Tarxien Rainbows for a place in the final of this prestigious competition. It was a real classic encounter, igniting new life in the rivalry between two traditional powerhouses of Maltese football.

Valletta 2-0 Hamrun Spartans - 29.11.2025 - Photo by Malta FA

The team of coach Thane Micallef created the first danger in the 10th minute when Yuri De Jesus Messias had a powerful shot from close range that went just over the bar. But the veteran Brazilian striker was not to be denied nine minutes later when he caught Hamrun goalkeeper Henry Bonello out of his box before curling a superb shot over the Malta international, giving Valletta the lead. Hamrun responded in the 40th minute when a long-range shot by Merlin Hadzi was saved by Valletta goalkeeper Adilson Maringa.

FVS was called into action in stoppage time of the first half when, initially, the referee in charge gave a penalty to Hamrun after a hands-ball incident in the box. However, after reviewing the video, the official cancelled the spot kick with Valletta going into the dressing rooms with a minimal 1-0 advantage.

In the 59th minute, Valletta thought that they had doubled the score when Yuri hit the net from close range. The goal was however annulled for an off-side infringement. Not much later, the referee was called to the sidelines for another FVS review for a possible penalty but waved to play on. Valletta sealed the victory with a second goal in the 88th minute when, from a quick counterattack, Thaylor Aldama served Keyon Ewurum who doubled from close-range.

With the outcome of the match settled, Hamrun were reduced to 10 when Vincenzo Polito brought down Jackson Mendoza, denying the Colombian an obvious goalscoring opportunity. Not much later, the referee was called for another FVS review with Valletta claiming a possible penalty, but ordered a free kick as he judged that the foul had occurred just outside the box. By then, the match was already over with Valletta celebrating a hard-earned but deserved victory over the Malta champions with their faithful supporters.

Tarxien Rainbows 0-0 Marsaxlokk
(Tarxien winners after penalty kicks: 5-4)

On Sunday night at the National Stadium, Tarxien Rainbows secured their place in the semi-finals of the Jubilee Cup, beating Marsaxlokk after penalties with the score remaining goalless at the end of regulatory time. That means that the Rainbows repeated history as during the last one-off competition organized by the MFA, the National League Anniversary Cup during season 2009/10, the Blues also reached the Semi’s, being beaten 3-1 by Valletta, who will be again the opponents in the Semi-Final on Wednesday.

Tarxien Rainbows 0-0 Marsaxlokk - 29.11.2025 - Photo by Malta FA

Tarxien custodian Miguel Spiteri was called into action for the first time on 14 minutes, doing well to deny Marsaxlokk captain Nikolai Muscat an early goal. The team of coach Jacques Scerri replied four minutes later when Andreas Vella came close to break the deadlock, beating Pablo Sanchez but the ball was cleared from the goal-line. On 29 minutes, Vella headed towards Wallisson Bahia whose header was well saved by Sanchez.

Marsaxlokk came close to opening the scoring in the 57th minute when Marcelo Santos had his long-range shot deflected into a corner by a Tarxien defender. From the resulting corner kick, Juvhel Tsoumou’s close-range header was saved with difficulty by Spiteri. The south-seasiders continued to press and in the 66th minute, Santos was in the right place and time to kick the ball against the net. However, the referee was called to the sideline to check the FVS footage which revealed that Jose Arias, who was part of the action that led to this goal, was in an off-side position.

In the 81st minute, it was Tarxien who came close to a winner when Kyle Gatt’s insidious free kick was deflected into a corner with difficulty by Sanchez. The score remained unchanged until the end of regulatory time however, with the match going straight into penalties. While Tarxien kicked all the penalties home, Spiteri saved Leandro Aguirre’s decisive penalty for Marsaxlokk, sending Tarxien Rainbows through to the Semi-Final of this prestigious cup competition.