17 April 2026
GFA 1st Division Knock Out (Final) Gozo Stadium
SK Victoria Wanderers FC : 1
Kercem Ajax FC : 3
10’ (0-1) Natal Cidcley Severiano (Nenem)
56’ (red card) Eduard Nicolas Montenegro Orozco (SKVW)
75’ (1-1) Ender Duvan Alvarez Vielma
87’ (1-2) Andre Gabriel Castro Martins
89’ (1-3) Isaias Moura Vera Cruz De Souza
SK Victoria W:
S. Camilleri, A.L. Cutler, N. Camilleri, E.N. Montenegro Orozco, M. Cordina, M.L. Amodu, E. Zammit, E.D. Alvarez Velma, S. Harland, O. Fenech (A. Touarha 76), L. Fenech.
Kercem A:
A. Brignoli, M. Fernandes De Souza Lima, D. Bogdanovic, N.C. Severiano (Nenem) (G. Farrugia 90+3), R. Saliba, A.G. Castro Martins, G. Vella (G. Muscat 46), A. Xuereb (A. Azzopardi 46), S. Azzopardi, I. Moura Vera Cruz De Souza (A. Mizzi 90+3), M. Camilleri (J. Theuma 80).
Kercem Ajax, the newly crowned Gozitan football champions, secured a 3–1 victory over SK Victoria Wanderers in the First Division Knock-Out Final, thus completing the season with a double.
Both teams showed clear determination to win this trophy. SK Victoria Wanderers entered the match as the holders of the competition, while Kercem Ajax were aiming to add another honour to their league title. As a result, the match proved to be highly competitive and was ultimately decided by two goals scored in the closing moments of the encounter.
This was the third time that Kercem Ajax won the First Division Knock-Out competition, having previously lifted the trophy in its inaugural edition during the 2013/2014 season and again in the 2015/2016 campaign. With this victory in the final, Kercem returned to winning the Knock-Out trophy after a ten-year absence.
Following the final whistle, Kercem Ajax were presented with the medals and the First Division Knock-Out Cup by Gozo Football Association vice-presidents Michael Angelo Grech and Charlie Zammit, in the presence of Association General Secretary Tony Grech, amid celebrations by the players, club officials and supporters.
Timeline
First Half:
Kercem started the match on the front foot and managed to take the lead, while the Wanderers responded well and went close on more than one occasion to restoring parity. Kercem remained well organised and successfully defended their advantage, keeping the match finely balanced.
1’ (post) Kercem could have opened the scoring after just 51 seconds, but Nenem’s cross-shot struck the upright.
3’ Another Kercem chance followed when Andre Martins, from a good position, failed to hit the target.
6’ The Wanderers replied with a shot by Ender Vielma, which went over the bar.
10’ Victoria nearly capitalised from a corner after Kercem’s defence looked caught out, but Neil Camilleri’s back-heel attempt was cleared off the goal line.
10’ (0–1) From the resulting action, Kercem took the lead when Nenem entered the box and beat the goalkeeper with a well-placed shot into the corner.
16’ (post) The Wanderers came close to levelling when a curling effort by Matthias Cordina beat the goalkeeper but hit the post.
18’ Kercem goalkeeper Angelo Brignoli made a good save to turn Mustapha Amodu’s shot behind for a corner.
26’ Kercem missed another opportunity when Ryan Saliba set up Andre Martins centrally, but the striker’s effort was saved by Victoria goalkeeper Samuel Camilleri.
HT (0-1)
Second Half:
The second half remained lively, with chances at both ends, despite the Wanderers playing more than half an hour with ten men. Victoria managed to equalise while a player down, but just as the match appeared to be heading for extra time, Kercem struck twice late on to decide the final.
4’ Victoria goalkeeper Samuel Camilleri blocked a shot by Nenem after a pass from Andre Martins.
11’ (red card) SK Victoria Wanderers were reduced to ten men when Nicolas Orozco received a second yellow card for a foul outside the area on Isaias Cruz.
14’ (post) From the resulting free kick, Nenem struck the post, and from the rebound the ball came off the goalkeeper, who recovered to save amid protests that the ball may have crossed the goal line.
17’ Kercem threatened again through a shot by Isaias Cruz, which went wide.
18’ Victoria goalkeeper Samuel Camilleri produced an excellent save to turn a powerful shot by Andre Martins into a corner.
21’ Victoria almost created danger from a short corner, but after Andre Cutler’s cross, Neil Camilleri’s header was saved by Kercem goalkeeper Angelo Brignoli.
30’ (1–1) SK Victoria Wanderers equalised through a long-range shot by Ender Vielma that caught the goalkeeper by surprise.
32’ The Wanderers continued to press, with a shot by Emerson Zammit sailing over the bar.
36’ Kercem squandered a good chance when Nenem shot wide from a favourable position.
42’ (1–2) Kercem regained the lead when Victoria failed to clear a corner, and amidst a goal-mouth scramble, Andre Martins managed to finish despite the goalkeeper’s attempts to keep the ball out.
44’ (1–3) Kercem sealed the victory when, following a counter-attack, Andre Martins played through Isaias Cruz, who beat the goalkeeper with a precise shot into the corner.
FT (SKVW 1 – KA 3)
Referee: Glen Tonna
Asst. Referees: Duncan Spencer, Patrick Falzon
4th Official Joseph Scerri
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