Hamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers battle for Super Cup glory

The Super Cup Final between Hamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers will take place this Friday at 5pm at the National Stadium. This match is being contested between Hamrun, the winners of last season’s Premier Division, and Sliema, who won the last edition of the FA Trophy. Hamrun have won the Super Cup six times, with their most recent victory coming last season against Birkirkara. Sliema have won it three times, with their last triumph dating back to the 2009-10 season when they beat Hibernians.

This season, the two teams have already met twice in the league. Sliema won the first match, while the second encounter ended in a 1-1 draw.

Hamrun’s season has been difficult so far as they have struggled to maintain the form they showed last year. Their position in the table reflects this, as the reigning champions are currently in 5th place with 21 points. However, they have shown improvement recently, winning 3 of their last 4 matches and drawing 1.

On the other hand, Sliema are in 3rd place in the table with 27 points, having lost just once this season to current league leaders Birkirkara. Hamrun’s main difficulties this season have been due to injuries. They have lost several key players, including their defensive duo Steve Borg and Emerson Marcelina, who have missed many matches. Croatian midfielder Roko Prsa has been sidelined for three months, and promising striker Shaisen Attard has had an ACL operation, which will likely keep him out for most of the remainder of the season.

Despite these challenges, coach Alessandro Zinnari has shown faith in his young players. Besides regulars like Matthew Ellul, Daniel Leatherby, and Sven Xerri, he has given opportunities to younger players such as Kean Scicluna and Gabriel Vella. Both have shown great potential and proved they can be trusted to start in important games, despite their young age.

Super cup

Sliema Wanderers, in contrast, have had a stable squad this season, with coach Paul Zammit not facing many of the injury problems that Hamrun have. Sliema’s team includes reliable Maltese players like Adam Magri Overend, Jean Borg, Myles Beerman, and Steve Pisani, as well as several interesting foreign players. Some of these foreigners were part of the squad last season, while others are new additions.

One standout player has been young Nigerian goalkeeper Kelvin Emeka. Signed last season, he was given his chance this year after Rashid Al-Tumi left for FC Sheriff. Emeka has quickly become one of the top goalkeepers in the 360Sports Malta Premier League this season, further strengthening Sliema’s squad.

Super cup

As the two teams prepare for this exciting Super Cup Final, both will be eager to secure the trophy and end the year on a high note. With Hamrun improving after a tough start and Sliema showing consistency throughout the season, this match promises to be a thrilling encounter.

Super cup
Click HERE to learn more about this promotion (18+)

Leave a reply