The second round of the fifth edition of the National Amateur Cup took place over the weekend, seeing eight teams advance to the quarter-finals in a competition that continues to showcase spirited performances and tight contests. While no matches required a penalty shootout, two encounters went into extra time to determine the winner. Notably, seven of the remaining teams compete in Amateur League I, with Kercem Ajax standing as the sole representative from the Gozo Football Association (GFA).
Starting in Gozo, Kercem Ajax extended their unbeaten streak, defeating Munxar Falcons 2-0 on Sunday in a replay of the recent GFA Second Division Challenge Cup final, which Kercem had also won, 3-0. Kercem’s early penalty in the 16th minute, initially saved by Munxar’s Joel Micallef, was finished on the rebound by Christian Vella. Munxar’s defense held strong until five minutes after the restart, when Cesinha capitalized from close range to double the lead. Despite Munxar’s efforts, with Daniel Mesa posing a threat to the Ajax backline, Kercem’s solid form remained unshaken. Under coach Danijel Bogdanovic, they have yet to concede a goal this season over seven games.
Elsewhere, Saturday’s early match at the Sirens Stadium saw Birzebbuga St Peter’s breeze past last year’s quarter-finalists Ta’ Xbiex, 4-0. With several regulars rested, Birzebbuga dominated from the 24th minute when Samuel Saldanha broke the deadlock. Marquinho doubled the advantage seconds later, with Saldanha adding a third before halftime. Substitute Yusuf Sulaiman capped the win on the hour, allowing coach Edward Azzopardi to rotate his players for the remainder of the match.
Following that, Luqa St Andrew’s faced Victoria Hotspurs in a clash marking Victoria’s first true test of the season. Hotspurs struck early in the ninth minute through Dejan Bogdanovic, but Luqa equalized from a Dario Aquilina penalty just before halftime. Both teams kept up the intensity, with Hotspurs awarded a penalty in stoppage time, which veteran Daniel Farrugia converted, sealing their 21st consecutive competitive victory and setting a new domestic record, eclipsing Floriana and Gzira’s 20-match streak.
Attard comfortably dispatched Mdina Knights 4-0 in the late Saturday kickoff at the Mosta Ground. Resting several starters, Attard netted twice in each half. Josmar Galea scored in the 37th minute, and Nigel Spiteri doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time. Despite Mdina’s push after the break, Justin Cassar and Camilo Escobar added goals to complete the commanding victory.
Meanwhile, Marsaskala forced Mellieha into extra time in the second match at Mosta, with Nicholas Zammit’s late equalizer keeping the game alive. Christian Grech initially gave Mellieha the lead at the hour mark, but Zammit’s goal sent it to extra time, where Mellieha ultimately prevailed with goals from Alexander Akl and young talent Anis Louati, securing their spot in the quarter-finals.
In the Sirens Stadium nightcap, Xghajra Tornados overcame Kalkara 3-2 in a thrilling extra-time victory. Xghajra led 1-0 at halftime thanks to Cheyzen Spagnol, but Kalkara equalized through Liam Hartley in the 65th minute. Kalkara went down to 10 men in extra time after Ickerson Whitelaw’s red card, allowing Xghajra to exploit their numerical advantage as Spagnol and Francesco Gusman extended the lead. Although Hartley added a late consolation goal for Kalkara, Xghajra held firm to advance.
Sunday’s action continued at Sirens Stadium as Qormi defeated Pembroke Athleta 3-1. In a tight game that saw all goals scored in the final minutes, Qormi’s Brazilian substitute Cadu put his team ahead in the 86th minute. Though Pembroke leveled almost immediately through Roderick Taliana, Qormi rallied in stoppage time, with Cadu and Nathan Vella each finding the net to clinch the win.
In the final game, two first-half goals lifted Qrendi past Gharghur in a 2-0 victory. Brazilian forward Ayesller Carvalho opened the scoring on 21 minutes, with Gianfranco Micallef doubling the lead before halftime. Gharghur’s last chance to stage a comeback slipped away as Jayden Aquilina missed a penalty in the 87th minute, allowing Qrendi to march on, leaving Gharghur to focus on league survival.
These quarter-finalists are now set to compete for a place in the semifinals, with high stakes and plenty of momentum carried forward from this action-packed round.
