22 April 2025
BOV GFA Cup s/final 1 Gozo Stadium
Qala Saints FC : 3
Nadur Youngsters FC : 4
After Extra Time
28’ (1-0) Ezequiel Eduardo Ruiz
41’ (1-1) Brandon Said
72’ (1-2) Diego Pires Dall’Oca
82’ (2-2) penalty Ezequiel Eduardo Ruiz
90+8’ (red card) Nathan Chukwudi Njoku (QS)
104’ (2-3) Joseph Xerri
117’ (3-3) Igor Nedeljkovic
120+3’ (3-4) Olimpio Gabirel Fernandes
Qala S:
O. Attard, Jsph. Buttigieg, J.A. Ferreira Dos Santos, C. Mercieca, E.E. Ruiz, E. Buttigieg, J. Parnis, G. Cardona (E. Grozdanov 78), N.C. Njoku, L.S. Nascimento Dias De Almeida, I. Nedeljkovic.
Nadur Y:
S. Sultana, I. De Jesus De Santana, D.P. Dall’Oca, R.C. Prudente (S. Xuereb 100), J. Zammit, B. Said, O.P. Bugeja, G. Farrugia (J. Xerri 87), I. Xuereb, G. Muscat, O.G. Fernandes.
In the first match of the semi-finals of the 50th edition of the BOV GFA Cup, Gozo’s second most important football competition, Nadur Youngsters secured a 4-3 victory after extra time against the holders and newly crowned champions Qala Saints. This match turned out to be a very hard-fought battle between the two teams, who have been key protagonists over the last three seasons, with the qualification remaining uncertain until the very end.
Both teams approached this semi-final with the intention of qualifying for the final, as they both had ambitions of winning the last major honour of the season. Qala Saints, who were the holders of this competition, were aiming to cap off a memorable season, after winning the league for the first time, with another trophy. Meanwhile, Nadur, who have won this title ten times (most recently in the 2023/2024 season), were looking to end their season with some silverware. The match lived up to expectations and became quite tense in the final stages, to the point that early in the second half of extra time, the game had to be temporarily suspended.
The score changed multiple times during the 120 minutes as both teams displayed attacking football, and the qualification could have gone either way. It was no surprise that the match went into extra time. The decider came in the dying seconds of extra time, with Nadur scoring the winning goal, thus leaving Qala no time to respond or take the game to penalties.
Photo: Anthony Cassar
Timeline:
For most of the first half, Qala were more dominant and looked more adventurous than their opponents. They managed to take a deserved lead but failed to maintain pressure, allowing Nadur to come out of defence and grab an equaliser just before the break.
6’ Qala created the first chance through an Ezequiel Ruiz free-kick, saved easily by goalkeeper Steve Sultana.
8’ Qala were more dangerous when Christian Mercieca’s shot from outside the box went wide.
18’ Nadur responded with a missed free-kick by Diego Pires Dall’Oca.
24’ Nadur’s goalkeeper Steve Sultana made an important save on a low shot by Mercieca.
28’ (1-0) Qala took the lead when Dias De Almeida won the ball from Nadur’s defence, fed Gabriel Cardona, whose cross was finished by Ezequiel Eduardo Ruiz with a central shot.
41’ (1-1) Nadur equalised from a left-side cross by Dall’Oca, with Gabriel Farrugia heading across to Brandon Said, who finished from close range.
45’ Nadur came close again with a corner from Dall’Oca and a header from Rafael Conrado Prudente that went wide.
HT (1-1)
Second Half:
The match grew more combative in the second half, though chances were rarer. Nadur took the lead midway, but Qala responded to draw level. The final minutes of regular time were very tense, with clashes between players and officials, requiring police intervention before extra time could start.
4’ Qala was threatened with a shot from Gabriel Cardona that went wide.
24’ Qala’s keeper Owen Attard made a difficult save on a shot from Joseph Zammit.
27’ (1-2) Nadur took the lead with a direct corner goal from Diego Pires Dall’Oca that surprised the defence.
30’ Qala responded with a dangerous free-kick from Christian Mercieca, saved for a corner. His follow-up shot from the corner was also blocked to another corner by the goalkeeper.
35’ (2-2) Qala were awarded a penalty for a foul by Owen Peter Bugeja on Christian Mercieca. Ezequiel Eduardo Ruiz converted from the spot.
40’ Qala nearly scored again, but a long-range shot by Ferreira Dos Santos went over.
45+8’ (Red Card) Qala ended playing with one player less when Nathan Njoku was sent off for a foul in the midfield.
45+9’ Nadur missed a last chance to win in regular time, with a header by Prudente going wide from a Dall’Oca free-kick.
90 mins. (2-2)
Extra Time – First Half
Both teams remained aggressive, but Nadur regained the lead just before the break.
2’ Qala’s keeper was well placed to save a central shot from Dall’Oca.
5’ Qala responded with a shot from Jordi Parnis, saved by goalie Steve Sultana.
8’ Another dangerous attempt from Qala’s Jordi Parnis was blocked, and Christian Mercieca missed from the rebound.
14’ (2-3) Nadur went ahead when Gabriel Fernandes headed towards the box and Qala’s goalie failed to clear under the pressure by Joseph Zammit, so that substitute Joseph Xerri took advantage and tapped into an empty net.
ET HT (2-3)
Extra Time – Second Half
At the start of the second extra-time period, tensions escalated, and the match was suspended briefly after the assistant referee felt unsafe due to crowd pressure. After play resumed, Qala equalised again, but Nadur snatched victory in the dying moments.
11’ Nadur wasted a great chance, with Joseph Xerri, Brandon Said, and Pires Dall’Oca hesitating in the box.
12’ (3-3) Qala equalised with a counterattack, as Igor Nedeljkovic beat the keeper to the ball and scored.
15+3’ (3-4) Just when it looked like the game would go to penalties, Nadur scored the winner after Qala failed to clear a Dall’Oca corner from the goal line, and Olimpio Gabriel Fernandes pushed the ball home in the scramble.
FT a.e.t. (QS 3 – NY 4)
Referee: Glen Tonna
Asst. Referees: Duncan Sultana, Rapjan Xhyra
Photo: Anthony Cassar
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