The 2022–23 Maltese Challenge League (referred to as the BOV Challenge League for sponsorship reasons) is the second-level league football in Malta. It is the third season that the competition has been running in its present form.
Team changes The following teams have changed division since the 2021–22 season:
To Maltese Challenge League Promoted from Maltese National Amateur League Żurrieq Attard Marsaskala Mtarfa
Relegated from the Maltese Premier League Sliema Wanderers
From Maltese Challenge League Promoted to the Maltese Premier League Marsaxlokk Pietà Hotspurs Żebbuġ Rangers
Relegated to Maltese National Amateur League Luqa St. Andrew's Mġarr United Pembroke Athleta Rabat Ajax F.C. Senglea Athletic St. George's
Teams
Eighteen teams will compete in the league which will include the Four teams promoted from the Amateur League and one team relegated from the Premier League. This Season will be playing only one round. After the first round, the top six will play each other twice to determine whether to win the Challenge League, be promoted, or stay in Challenge League next season. And those who finish seventh till eighteenth in the first round will play once in Play-Out to determine who will stay in Challenge League or have either been relegated.
Team Location Attard Attard Fgura United Fgura Lija Athletic Lija Marsa Marsa Marsaskala Marsaskala Melita San Ġiljan Mqabba Mqabba Mtarfa Mtarfa Naxxar Lions Naxxar Qrendi Qrendi San Ġwann San Ġwann Sliema Wanderers Sliema St. Andrews St. Andrew's, Malta Swieqi United Swieqi Tarxien Rainbows Tarxien Vittoriosa Stars Birgu Żejtun Corinthians Zejtun Żurrieq Żurrieq
Venues On 21 December 2022. The Malta Football Association introduce another stadium at Luxol Stadium in Pembroke due to the final fixture of the first round that played three matches at the same time. On 21 December 2022. The Malta Football Association introduce another stadium at Sirens Stadium in San Pawl il-Baħar due to the final fixture of the season that is playing four matches at the same time. Ta' Qali Hamrun Pembroke San Pawl il-Baħar Centenary Stadium Victor Tedesco Stadium Luxol Stadium Sirens Stadium Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 1,962 Capacity: 600 Capacity: 800
League table <onlyinclude>
Results
Second phase Top Six
Play-Out
Promotion or Relegation play-offs
A play-offs match shall be played between the twelfth-placed team in the Premier League, Santa Lucia, and the third-placed team in the Maltese Challenge League, Żejtun Corinthians. The winner will play in the 2023-24 Maltese Premier League.
Season statistics Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Aroldo Da Silva ArrudaFgura United232 Robinson Blandon RendonNaxxar Lions183 Rundell WinchesterMarsaskala174 Duvan Mosquera TorresLija Athletic16 Lydon MicallefSliema Wanderers6 Adrian CarabottMarsaskala15 Claudio Antunes PavlidisQrendi8 Hiroya KonnoMelita14 Joao Vitor de Oliveira FlorencioŻurrieq10 Edson Cerqueira FariasNaxxar Lions12 Andre Carlos Penha da CostaŻejtun Corinthians
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Stadium Date Aroldo Da Silva ArrudaFgura UnitedMqabba6–0 (A)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali29 August 2022Melita4–2 (A)Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun8 September 2022 Hiroya KonnoMelitaAttard4–2 (A)11 September 2022St. Andrews6–2 (H)2 October 2022 Matheus De Lucena GuarientoSan GwannVittoriosa Stars3–0 (H) Hiroya KonnoMelita4–0 (A)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali9 October 2022 Nicholas SchembriAttardMtarfa3–1 (H)5 November 2022 Lucas Matheus Dos SantosMqabbaSwieqi United5–5 (H)10 December 2022 Pavlidis Claudio AntunesQrendiMtarfa3–2 (H)18 December 2022Fgura United4–3 (H)Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun21 December 2022 Aroldo Da Silva ArrudaFgura UnitedŻejtun Corinthians 4–1 (H)7 January 2023 Joao Vitor De Oliveira Florencio4ŻurrieqLija Athletic5–1 (H)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali8 January 2023 Robinson Blandon RendonNaxxar LionsŻurrieq3–0 (H)5 February 2023 Suleiman JaluQrendiAttard4–1 (A)Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun25 February 2023 Duvan Mosquera TorresLija AthleticVittoriosa Stars4–3 (H)5 March 2023 Robinson Blandon RendonNaxxar LionsŻurrieq5–0 (A)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali8 April 2023 Hiroya KonnoMelitaNaxxar LionsLuxol Stadium, Pembroke22 April 2023 Notes 4 Player scored 4 goals
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Rashed Al-TumiSliema Wanderers112 Yenz CiniNaxxar103 Jean Claude DebattistaSwieqi United94 Miguel MontfortSt. Andrews85 Julian AzzopardiFgura United7 Ryan CaruanaMelita Sean MintoffŻejtun Corinthians/Qrendi8 Zach VallettaAttard69 Nicholas VellaMarsa5 Jean Mattiase` VellaMtarfa Matthias DebonoTarxien Rainbows Christian CassarVittoriosa Stars
Discipline Club Most yellow cards: 82 Mqabba Most red cards: 7 Mtarfa Vittoriosa Stars
References
External links Malta Football Association