BNF U15 and U17 Leagues Review: Qormi and Marsaxlokk secure convincing wins to remain level on points

Qormi FC 9-0 Pembroke Athleta FC - 20.09.25 - Photo: Navlis Vassallo

The BNF U15 and U17 Leagues continued over the weekend, with teams going toe-to-toe in encounters across Sections C and D. With the second matchdays being played, it is still very early in the season, but the tables are starting to slowly take shape.

BNF U15 League C – Phase 1 Matchday 2

In the BNF U15 League C, Qormi FC and Marsaxlokk FC both recorded sensational wins over the weekend to be joint top in the table, with the former slightly edging it thanks to goal difference.

Qormi took on Pembroke Athleta FC at Mellieha Ground on Saturday, and the Stripes eased past their opponents, securing an incredible 9-0 win.

It did not take long for Qormi to open the scoring, as just 16 minutes into the encounter, they took the lead thanks to Renzan Azzopardi. Kane Spiteri quickly followed up the strike with a goal of his own only three minutes later, before he made it 3-0 thanks to a penalty.

Qormi were already in the clear inside the opening half-an-hour, yet they remained on the front foot going forward.

Zyas Cutajar made it 4-0 in the 39th minute, before Ike Muscat extended Qormi’s lead to five goals in the 40th minute.

Pembroke struggled to get a foothold on the match, and Qormi’s dominance continued in the second-half. Kayel Mizzi was the next one to get his name on the scoresheet, firing a shot past goalkeeper Gianni Cilia, before Matthias Spiteri made it 7-0 in the 60th minute. Mizzi got his second later on, and Mayren Caruana wrapped up the game with a late goal to round off a sensational performance from Qormi.

Qormi FC 9-0 Pembroke Athleta FC - 20.09.25 - Photo: Navlis Vassallo

Marsaxlokk matched Qormi’s attacking prowess, securing a 9-0 win as well, beating Zebbug Rangers FC.

Marsaxlokk’s goals came even earlier than Qormi’s with the Blues scoring just a few seconds into the encounter thanks to Derson Camilleri, before Jamie Azzopardi doubled their advantage four minutes later. Samuel Galea ensured they went into the break with a three-goal lead, finding the back of the net in the 15th minute with a cool strike.

The goals really started to come in the second-half, as after the break, Marsaxlokk stepped up their attacking efforts even further.

Kyle McKay made it 4-0 to Marsaxlokk in the 57th minute. Afterwards, Galea had an incredible spell, scoring three goals in the space of seven minutes, first in the 68th, then in the 73rd, and afterwards in the 75th, taking his tally for the day up to a remarkable four goals.

Zdeinik Borg got in on the goalscoring action in the 80th minute. There was also time for Galea to get his fifth and final goal of the night, capping off a dominant display from the Blues.

BNF U15 League D – Phase 1 Matchday 2

At Siggiewi Ground, there was a very tight clash between Santa Venera Lightnings FC and Gzira United, with the match ending in a 2-2 draw.

Prior to the match, the two teams had contrasting starts to their respective seasons, with Santa Venera failing to get a point, while Gzira had recorded a comfortable victory.

However, the match was very even in the opening stages, with neither side managing to muster plenty of opportunities.

The breakthrough would eventually come in the 44th minute though, as Nikolay Nikolaev Petrov broke free from the Santa Venera defence, before finishing the ball into the back of the net to put Gzira ahead right before the break.

Santa Venera responded after the restart, and they started to create more passages of play. They got back on level terms in the 55th minute thanks to a goal from Yassine Dahman, before completing a sensational turnaround in the 66th minute, with Jake Refalo getting on the scoresheet to put them in the lead after a dramatic few minutes.

The Maroons were left stunned by the comeback, but they needed to reply to the Santa Venera pressure. It did not take long for them to do so, as Noah Houghton was on target in the 73rd minute to equalise for Gzira.

Both sides were chasing a winner in the closing stages, yet they were also cautious of not leaving too much space at the back. The match eventually finished level, with Santa Venera also finishing the game with a man down due to Kaiden Thomas Camilleri, who had come on after half-time, receiving a second yellow card in the 88th minute.

As a result, Santa Venera earned their first point of the campaign, while Gzira had to settle for the draw.

It was a completely different story at Rabat Ajax Ground, as Mgarr United completed a resounding win over Tarxien Rainbows FC.

Mgarr immediately started on the front foot, attacking the Tarxien defence.

The Greens took the lead after just four minutes, as Jake Spiteri found the back of the net. This was quickly followed up by another goal from Mgarr, this time through Riyan Garcia, before Mattias Portelli got a quickfire brace to make it 4-0 and put the game out of Tarxien’s reach by the 26th minute.

Mgarr did not hold back, and they continued to threaten the Tarxien defence, with Aidan Garcia making it 5-0 in the 31st minute, before Portelli completed his hat-trick in the 42nd minute to cap off a sensational first-half from Mgarr.

After the break, Tarxien regrouped, and they managed to get a goal back in the 49th minute through Luca Bartolo.

However, Mgarr quickly responded, and they restored their immense advantage through another strike from Portelli, before Mason Abela also got in on the goalscoring.

Doyan Mallia got another consolation goal for Tarxien in the 69th minute, but that was followed up by two further goals for Mgarr before the final whistle, this time courtesy of Trstiano Falzon Cutajar and Nathan Muscat, making the final score 10-2 to the Greens.

BNF U17 League C – Phase 1 Matchday 2

In the BNF U17 League C, Marsaxlokk FC had to rely on a late goal to get a point against a stubborn Luqa St Andrew’s FC side on Sunday evening.

Prior to the encounter, Marsaxlokk had started their season with three points, while Luqa were still searching for their first win, having drawn in the first matchday. As a result, the match was very finely poised.

Marsaxlokk seized control of the match from the first whistle, but Luqa were holding their own, winning their respective duels.

In the 29th minute, Marsaxlokk took the lead, as Viktor Yasnichenko fired a shot past Olsen Abdilla, with the ball going into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

However, Luqa responded, and they attacked the Marsaxlokk backline. They got their reward right before half-time, as they were awarded a penalty for a foul in the penalty area. Jeron Vella stepped up to take it, and he made no mistake, finishing it past Zach Carabott.

After the break, Luqa turned the game around and went in front in the 51st minute, thanks to a strike from Kyle Cutajar.

In the closing stages, Marsaxlokk pushed forward, with Luqa looking to hold on to their lead, with Cutajar goal looking like it was going to be enough for them to earn their first three points of the season.

However, Keiran Falzon Caruana had other things in mind. The Marsaxlokk man found space away from the Luqa defence, before putting the ball into the back of the net to draw his side level, earning them a valuable point on the day.

Elsewhere, Rabat Ajax FC secured an impressive 4-1 win over Swieqi United to earn their first win of the season.

The match was off to an eventful start, with goal for either side inside the first six minutes. Beoke Maxwell Borg fired Rabat ahead, but Swieqi were quick to respond, as Keene Spiteri made it 1-1 just a couple of minutes later.

The encounter continued at a quick pace, with both sides having their chances. Rabat retook the lead in the 22nd minute, after they were awarded a penalty, which captain Jan Fenech calmly dispatched into the back of the net.

Swieqi could not bounce back after Rabat’s second goal, and the Magpies went into the break with a one-goal lead.

After the break, Rabat continued to cement their advantage, and they extended their lead to two goals through Nicholai Barry Grant just a few minutes after the restart.

Swieqi tried to push forward in search of a way back into the match, but the Rabat defence stood firm, and they denied plenty of Space, with goalkeeper Karl Bonello and the rest of the defence putting on a solid display.

Borg wrapped up the game for Rabat in the 90th minute, scoring to make it 4-1 to the Magpies.

BNF U17 League D – Phase 1 Matchday 2

Xghajra Tornados FC got their first three points on the board on Sunday, beating Ghaxaq FC 2-1 in a tight clash at Marsaxlokk Ground.

The match started very even, with neither side managing to break the other down in the opening few minutes. Both sides had their opportunities, but the first few minutes were largely contested in the middle of the park.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 43rd minute, when Dean Mallo found space, before striking a shot into the back of the net to put Xghajra ahead right before the break.

Xghajra maintained the momentum following the restart, and they continued to attack the Ghaxaq backline. They eventually doubled their advantage in the 68th minute, making it 2-0 thanks to a goal from Sami Muskaj.

Xghajra looked comfortable from that point on, limiting Ghaxaq’s opportunities as they away side chased a way back into the encounter.

Ghaxaq did manage to make the closing stages interesting by getting a goal back in the 84th minute through Aiden Glanville, but Xghajra did enough to secure the win and earn themselves the win.

At Siggiewi Ground, Attard FC followed up their opening matchday win with another victory, this time against Santa Venera Lightnings FC.

Both sides had come away with wins in the first matchday, making this a very interesting encounter.

In fact, the opening stages of the match were even, with the two teams trying to find a way of penetrating the other’s defence.

Attard managed to find the breakthrough in the 20th minute, taking the lead after Isaac Borg freed himself from his markers, before tucking the ball into the back of the net.

However, the Lightnings immediately issued a reply, with Kiyan Formosa getting his name on the scoresheet to draw the game level. The score remained level going into the break.

Immediately after the restart, Attard managed to regain their lead, going in front thanks to an own goal from Santa Venera defender Luke Abela, who diverted the ball into his own net.

Santa Venera tried to find a response, but they were struggling to finds a way past the Attard backline. The Stripes eventually sealed the win thanks to Kluivert Debono, who finished off a move to make it 3-1 in the 80th minute.

For the full results and table standings, check out our Matchcentre here.