Qala earn qualification with the largest win of the season

22 October 2022

BOV GFA Cup (Prel Rd) Kercem Arkafort Stadium

Sannat Lions FC: 1

Qala Saints: 10

7’ (0-1) Jamie Xerri

18’ (0-2) Nathan Chukwudi Njoku

19’ (0-3) Joao Vitor Ferrari Silva

21’ (0-4) Nathan Chukwudi Njoku

23’ (0-5) Jordi Parnis

40’ (1-5) Sebastien Martinez Turizo

43’ (1-6) Rafael Conrado Prudente

44’ (1-7) Jordi Parnis

53’ (1-8) Joao Vitor Ferrari Silva

57’ (1-9) penalty Jamie Xerri

80’ (1-10) Nathan Chukwudi Njoku

Sannat L:

L. Buttigieg, A. Sultana, J. Cassar, R.H. Alves Saldanha, N. Grima (M. Azzopardi), C.A. Sanchez Gonzales, D. Borg, L. Silva Gomes, A. Attard (C. Dingli), S. Martinez Turizo, A. Azzopardi.

Qala S:

F. Vella, L. Grima, Jsph. Buttigieg (M. Buttigieg), J.V. Ferrari Silva, A. Carvalho (M. Vella), E. Buttigieg, J. Parnis (L. Attard), R.C. Prudente (J.Y. Suzuki Bicudo), N.C. Njoku, K. Mifsud, J. Xerri, M. Xerri (C. Caruana).

Qala Saints registered a 10-1 win over Sannat Lions in the second match from the Preliminary Round of the BOV GFA Cup so that they earned a place in the quarter-finals of the second most important honour in Gozitan football.  Qala confirmed their excellent moment of form which saw them placed with the top teams in the championship at the end of the first round.

Although this match was a clash between two teams from the top flight, Qala dominated completely over Sannat and practically made sure of the win with goals scored during the first quarter of the encounter.  Qala started this match with some regular players missing, as their coach Shaun Bajada gave an opportunity to young players who did not find much playing time in the matches of the championship. The Maroons, including the young players who lack experience, seem in the excellent physical condition and managed to express their usual aggressive play.  Throughout this encounter, Qala’s young players ended up being the protagonist of the handsome win as Nathan Chukwudi Njoku scored a hat-trick while Jordi Parnis and Jamie Xerri registered a brace each.

Sannat suffered from Qala’s effective play and found it extremely difficult to protect their goalkeeper and to keep a respectable score so that they could not avoid a way to concede a heavy defeat.  In the quarter-final stage of the competition, Qala will face the match winner from the preliminary round between Xewkija Tigers and Oratory Youths.

Timeline

Qala Saints came out more determined and took command of play from the early stages.  The Maroons scored an early goal and paved the way for a convincing win.  Sannat’s reaction after conceding the first goal was sterile and Qala practically made use of the qualification by scoring more goals.

7’ (0-1) Qala opened the score when Jordi Parnis passed Sannat’s area from the right flank and from his low cross, Jamie Xerri arrived on the ball and placed in goal with a low shot.

18’ (0-2) Qala doubled the score through Nathan Chukwudi Njoku who came from behind the defence following a low cross by Ayesller Carvalho and netted with a low shot.

19’ (0-3) Sannat continued to suffer Qala’s offensive play and had to pick up the ball from the net for the third time when Rafael Conrado Prudente headed backwards towards Joao Vitor Ferrari Silva and the latter surprised the goalkeeper with a fine shot from the edge of the area.

21’ (0-4) Qala’s Nathan Chukwudi Njoku added another goal with a first-timer following a corner kick by Ayesller Carvalho.

23’ (0-5) The Maroons scored their fifth goal through a personal initiative by Jordi Parnis who passed inside Sannat’s area, turned around the goalkeeper and placed easily in an empty goal with a low drive.

27’ Sannat replied with an attempt by Camilo Andres Sanchez Gonzales following a corner action that shaved the crossbar and ended on the roof of the net.

36’ Qala’s Jordi Parnis could have scored another goal when he came face to face with goalie Luke Buttigieg but the latter had good timing and managed to block the danger to a corner.

37’ The same goalkeeper denied Qala from adding another goal when Nathan Chukwudi Njoku connected well to an inviting low cross from the right flank by Kurt Mifsud but the attempt was saved with difficulty to a corner.

40’ (1-5) Sannat managed to pull one goal back when Sebastien Martinez Turizo entered Qala’s territory and surprised the goalkeeper with a fine strike towards the corner of the net.

43’ (1-6) Qala however re-established the five-goal difference when Rafael Conrado Prudente took the ball inside Sannat’s area at an angled position and netted with a low shot towards the far post.

44’ (1-7) The seventh goal for Qala arrived through Jordi Parnis who took a long ranged through pass and lobbed it over Sannat’s keeper who left his position in an attempt to block the danger.

HT (1-7)

Second Half

The match lost much of the interest after the break but Qala continued to dominate over their opponents.  Qala scored two more goals during the first part of the second period and administered play for the remaining minutes of the match. 

8’ (1-8) Qala’s central defender Joao Vitor Ferrari Silva scored his second personal goal when he won the ball inside Sannat’s area following a corner kick by Ayesller Carvalho and concluded in the net with a shot from close distance. 

11’ (1-9) penalty Qala were awarded a penalty for a foul by Andrew Attard on Ayesller Carvalho and Jamie Xerri made no mistake with his shot from the spot kick.

23’ Sannat’s defence managed to avoid conceding another goal when a strike by substitute Luke Attard was blocked by goalie Luke Buttigieg and from the rebound, the header by Kurt Mifsud was cleared from the goalmouth by Sannat’s defender Aaron Azzopardi.

26’  Qala missed an opportunity to score another goal when substitute Julian Yoiti Suzuki Bicudo released Nathan Chukwudi Njoku hit badly from a close distance and the ball ended over the crossbar.

30’ (crossbar) Qala’s substitute Julian Yoiti Suzuki Bicudo was unlucky when his attempt from an angled position was stopped by the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.

35’ (1-10) The tenth goal for Qala arrived through a shot from close distance by Nathan Chukwudi Njoku so that the young striker registered a personal hat-trick.

FT (SL 1 – QS 10)

Referee: Ezekiel Barbara