The 2023–24 Maltese Challenge League (referred to as the BOV Challenge League for sponsorship reasons) is the second-level league football in Malta. It is the fourth season that the competition has been running in its present form.
The top two teams (Melita and Żabbar St. Patrick) were promoted to the 2024–25 Maltese Premier League. The bottom four teams (Msida Saint-Joseph and three others) will be relegated to the 2024–25 Maltese National Amateur League.
Teams The league consisted of sixteen teams; ten teams remaining from the previous season, four teams promoted from the 2022-23 Maltese National Amateur League, and two teams relegated from the 2022-23 Maltese Premier League.
Team changes The following teams have changed divisions since the 2022–23 season:
To Maltese Challenge League Promoted from Maltese National Amateur League Luqa St. Andrew's Msida Saint-Joseph Senglea Athletic Zabbar St. Patrick
Relegated from the Maltese Premier League Pietà Hotspurs Żebbuġ Rangers
From Maltese Challenge League Promoted to the Maltese Premier League Sliema Wanderers Naxxar Lions
Relegated to Maltese National Amateur League Marsaskala Mqabba Mtarfa Qrendi San Gwann Vittoriosa Stars
Team Location Manager Attard Attard Robert Magro Fgura United Fgura Kevin Vella Lija Athletic Lija Joseph Galea Luqa St. Andrew's Luqa Edmond Lufi Marsa Marsa Orosco Anonam Melita San Ġiljan Clive Mizzi Msida Saint-Joseph Msida Neville Galea Pietà Hotspurs Pietà Manuel Caruana Senglea Athletic Senglea Liam Mangion St. Andrews St. Andrew's, Malta Vesko Petrovic Swieqi United Swieqi Pablo Doffo Tarxien Rainbows Tarxien Jacques Scerri Żabbar St. Patrick Zabbar Emilio Cornago San Pedro Żebbuġ Rangers Żebbuġ Rodney Bugeja Żejtun Corinthians Zejtun Ivan Casha Żurrieq Żurrieq Saviour Debono Grech
Kits
Team Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (front) Shirt sponsor (back) Shirt sponsor (sleeve)Attard GivovaBilven Ltd, SearchedA to Z Electronics (Both)Fgura UnitedAdidasFundazzjoni Sebħ, Trust Stamp, Euro Bridge, Iveco (Top Left)EuroSport (Top), Rad Auto Dealer (Bottom)Fundazzjoni Sebħ (Right), Hair Haven (Left)Lija Athletic MacronFalzon Group Of CompaniesTeamSport (Top), La Crema (Bottom)Luqa St. Andrew'sMacronSeduta ConstructionBilon Service (Right)MarsaLegeaF SchembriMelita HummelAtlas Insurance Hub88 (Top), Burger King (Middle) Eurosport (Bottom) I nouv (Right), VIBE (Left)Msida Saint-JosephLegeaC.A.M.C. Security, MTZ Group (Top Left)Sports Locker (Top), The Tub (Bottom)Cuschieri Group (Left), KF Kebab (Right)Pietà Hotspurs JartaziFamalco.net, A1 Supplies, Xuereb InstallationFarstone Construction (Top)Senglea AthleticGivovaPalumbo, AUM, JCJuc LtdSt. AndrewsMacronFiat, Frank Saltatg (Left), Marsali (Right)Swieqi UnitedErimaPlatin P Casino, BEHREight Four Capital (Top)Tarxien RainbowsErreàCassar, Dee SpasCargo Nigel (Bottom)AEN (Right)Żabbar St. PatrickErreàThe ShorelineDL Group (Top), Kristal (Bottom)Żebbuġ RangersJomaThe Convenience Shop, Coop ItaliaŻejtun CorinthiansErreàInno-Hit Magic Castle (Right)ŻurrieqErimaTrust PaymentXace (Top), Corendion, D£, B.home (Bottom)Tax ORB (Left), Firetech (Right)
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner ofdepartureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentMelita Saviour Debono GrechEnd of Contract24 April 2023Pre-season Clive Mizzi25 May 2023Marsa Ryan FenechEnd of Caretaker Orosco Anonam15 May 2023Żurrieq George MagriResign29 April 2023 Saviour Debono Grech10 May 2023Żabbar St. Patrick Emilio CornagoEnd of Caretaker2 May 2023 Joseph Spiteri20 May 2023Żebbuġ Rangers Brian SpiteriEnd of Contract3 May 2023 Rodney Bugeja19 May 2023Pietà Hotspurs Rodney Bugeja6 May 2023 Manuel Caruana26 May 2023St. Andrews Brian Said7 May 2023 Ramon Zammit13 May 2023Żejtun Corinthians Orosco Anonam15 May 2023 Ivan Casha29 May 2023Swieqi United Stephen DamatoSigned by Sirens24 May 2023 Pablo Doffo26 May 2023St. Andrews Ramon ZammitSacked21 October 202313th Charles Muscat (Caretaker)21 October 2023Senglea Athletic Edgar Degabriele21 November 202310th Liam Mangion30 November 2023St. Andrews Charles MuscatEnd of Caretaker21 January 202415th Vesko Petrovic21 January 2024
Venues On 29 January 2024. The Malta Football Association introduced another three stadiums Charles Abela Stadium, Luxol Stadium and Sirens Stadium due to the final fixture of the first round that played five matches at the same time. Pembroke Mosta San Pawl il-Baħar Ta' Qali Hamrun Luxol Stadium Charles Abela Stadium Sirens Stadium Centenary Stadium Victor Tedesco Stadium Capacity: 600 Capacity: 700 Capacity: 800 Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 1,962
Regular season During the regular season, each team plays each other once (either at home or at away). The top six teams qualify for the Top Six, while the bottom ten teams qualify for the Play-Out.
League table <onlyinclude>
Results
Second phase Top Six The top six teams from the regular season face each other twice more (once at home and once away), with the top two teams earning promotion to the 2024–25 Maltese Premier League. Results from the regular season were carried over into this round.
League table <onlyinclude>
Results
Play-Out The bottom ten teams from the regular season face each other for the second time (either at home or away), with the bottom four teams being relegated to the 2024–25 Maltese National Amateur League. Results from the regular season were carried over into this round.
League table <onlyinclude>
Results
Relegation tie-breaker With both St. Andrews and Luqa St. Andrew's level on 28 points, a play-off match was conducted to the looser will be Relegation to the 2024–25 Maltese National Amateur League.
Season statistics Scoring Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Andre Carlos Penha Da CostaMelita172 Augusto Rene' CaseresMarsa13 Duvan Mosquera TorresZebbug Rangers4 Bledi AllaAttard12 Ofufu IbehFgura United6 Camilo Andres Sanchez GonzalesLuqa St. Andrews117 Erjon BeuLija Athletic10 Alan Abdel RahmanLuqa St. Andrews David Oliveira SouzaZabbar St.Patrick10 Johan Alberto CastanoFgura United9 Pavlidis Claudio AntunesPieta Hotspurs Ivan Sousa Flora FranciscoZurrieq
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Stadium Date Andre Carlos Penha Da CostaMelitaMsida Saint-Joseph4-0 (H)Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun1 October 2023 Santiago Fabian MoracciTarxien RainbowsAttard4-2 (H)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali22 October 2023 Augusto Rene' CaseresMarsa6-0 (A)Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun4 November 2023 Ivan Sousa Flora FranciscoŻurrieqSt. Andrews3-2 (A)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali2 December 2023 Pavlidis Claudio AntunesPieta HotspursMarsa3-1 (A)10 December 2023 Andre Carlos Penha Da Costa4MelitaFgura United4-4 (A)17 December 2023 Augusto Rene' CaseresMarsaSt. Andrews4-1 (A)Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun27 January 2024 Rundell WinchesterTarxien RainbowsLija Athletic4-0 (A)11 February 2024 Donys Aldair Quintero MaldonadoMarsaSenglea Athletic4-1 (H)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali6 April 2024 Johann BezzinaŻebbuġ RangersAttard6-0 (A)Victor Tedesco Stadium, Hamrun7 April 2024 David Oliveira SouzaŻabbar St. PatrickŻurrieq4-1 (A)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali21 April 2024 William James EnglandSt. AndrewsLija Athletic5-0 (H)Sirens Stadium, San Pawl il-Baħar28 April 2024 Notes 4 Player scored 4 goals
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Matthew GrechŻabbar St. Patrick132 Gosef MizziMelita12 Glenn ZammitSenglea Athletic4 Andreas VellaTarxien Rainbows115 Jamie AzzopardiZebbug Rangers96 Christopher FarrugiaMarsa8 Frederick TaboneZejtun Corinthians8 Reeves CiniPieta Hotspurs7 Jean Claude DebattistaSwieqi United Ryan CaruanaZurrieq
Discipline Player Most yellow cards: 12 Camilo Del Castillo Escobar (Attard) Most red cards: 2 Lucas Vinicius Viana Prati (Lija Athletic) Josmar Galea (Żejtun Corinthians)
Club Most yellow cards: 63 Swieqi United Żurrieq Most red cards: 6 Lija Athletic
References