2021–22 Maltese Challenge League

The 2021–22 Maltese Challenge League (referred to as the BOV Challenge League for sponsorship reasons) is the second-level league football in Malta. It is the second season that the competition has been running in its present form.

Maltese Challenge League
Season2021–22
Dates10 September 2021 – 23 April 2022
ChampionsŻebbuġ Rangers
PromotedMarsaxlokk
Pembroke Athleta
Pietà Hotspurs
Żebbuġ Rangers
RelegatedLuqa St. Andrew's
Mġarr United
Rabat Ajax F.C.
Senglea Athletic
St. George's
Vittoriosa Stars
All statistics correct as of 24 April 2022.

Following the decision of the Maltese Football Association Executive Committee, the teams that had finished in the promotion and relegation places in the previous Challenge League season would remain in the Challenge League in the 2021-22 season (with the exception of Qormi, due to less than 75% of the matches having been completed in the competition.[1][2][3] Relegation from the Premier League and promotion from the National Amateur League remained in place due to these competitions being adequately completed. This season will therefore see twenty-two teams compete rather than the sixteen that had been originally expected. This will take place within two groups on eleven teams with the top two clubs from either group earning promotion to the Premier League. [4][5] The six teams to finish in the bottom three places of both groups would be relegated to the National Amateur League the following season.

Teams
Location of teams in 2021–22 Maltese Premier League

Twenty-two teams will compete in the league which will include the four teams promoted from the Amateur League and four teams relegated from the Premier League. The top two teams from either group will achieve automatic promotion with the end of season leaders of the two groups meeting in a playoff to decide who with be the champion for 2021-22. The bottom three clubs of both groups will be automatically relegated without any playoffs.

Team Location
Fgura United Fgura
Lija Athletic Lija
Luqa St. Andrew's Luqa
Marsa Marsa
Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk
Melita San Ġiljan
Mġarr United Mġarr
Mqabba Mqabba
Naxxar Lions Naxxar
Pembroke Athleta Pembroke
Pietà Hotspurs Pietà
Qrendi Qrendi
Rabat Ajax F.C. Rabat
San Ġwann San Ġwann
Senglea Athletic Senglea
St. Andrews St. Andrew's, Malta
St. George's Cospicua
Swieqi United Swieqi
Tarxien Rainbows Tarxien
Vittoriosa Stars Birgu
Żebbuġ Rangers Żebbuġ
Żejtun Corinthians Żejtun

League tables

Challenge League Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Pembroke Athleta (P) 20 14 6 0 49 16 +33 48 Promotion to the 2022–23 Maltese Premier League
2 Marsaxlokk (P) 20 13 2 5 40 22 +18 41
3 Żejtun Corinthians 20 12 4 4 44 24 +20 40
4 Naxxar Lions 20 12 1 7 37 22 +15 37
5 Melita 20 10 3 7 28 22 +6 33
6 San Ġwann 20 8 6 6 38 22 +16 30
7 Lija Athletic 20 8 4 8 39 37 +2 28
8 Mqabba 20 5 5 10 29 41 −12 20
9 Vittoriosa Stars (R) 20 5 1 14 23 61 −38 16 Relegation to the 2022-23 Maltese National Amateur League
10 Rabat Ajax (R) 20 3 4 13 20 42 −22 13
11 St. George's (R) 20 1 2 17 13 51 −38 5
Updated to match(es) played on 10 April 2022. Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Challenge League Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Żebbuġ Rangers (P) 20 14 3 3 46 15 +31 45 Promotion to the 2022–23 Maltese Premier League
2 Pietà Hotspurs (P) 20 12 4 4 39 19 +20 40
3 Tarxien Rainbows 20 10 8 2 45 24 +21 38
4 Marsa 20 10 5 5 35 22 +13 33[lower-alpha 1]
5 Fgura United 20 9 4 7 35 27 +8 31
6 St. Andrews 20 8 4 8 36 30 +6 28
7 Qrendi 20 7 3 10 30 37 −7 24
8 Swieqi United 20 5 9 6 21 29 −8 24
9 Senglea Athletic (R) 20 4 3 13 24 50 −26 15 Relegation to the 2022-23 Maltese National Amateur League
10 Mġarr United (R) 20 3 5 12 11 36 −25 14
11 Luqa St. Andrew's (R) 20 2 4 14 9 42 −33 10
Updated to match(es) played on 30 January 2022. Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. Marsa received a 2 point deduction after their player assaulted a match official in a match against Pietà Hotspurs [6]

Results

Challenge League Group A Results
Home \ Away LIJ MXK MEL MQA NXL PEM RAB SĠW STG VST ŻEJ
Lija Athletic — 0–1 1–2 4–3 1–3 1–1 3–0 2–2 2–0 4–0 2–1
Marsaxlokk 3–4 — 0–2 3–1 3–0 2–2 1–1 3–2 1–0 6–0 1–3
Melita 2–1 1–0 — 0–0 0–2 1–3 0–0 0–2 3–0 3–0 1–3
Mqabba 1–1 0–2 3–2 — 1–1 2–3 1–2 0–4 4–1 2–1 2–4
Naxxar Lions 2–0 1–3 0–2 5–0 — 1–2 1–0 0–3 1–0 3–0 1–2
Pembroke Athleta 5–1 1–0 4–1 3–0 1–0 — 3–0 1–1 2–0 1–0 2–2
Rabat Ajax 1–3 1–2 1–2 2–2 0–2 0–2 — 2–7 1–1 3–0 0–2
San Ġwann 4–1 0–1 0–0 0–2 0–1 2–2 3–1 — 4–0 3–2 0–0
St. George's 2–2 1–3 0–2 1–4 0–1 0–6 0–3 2–0 — 1–2 3–5
Vittoriosa Stars 1–5 1–3 0–3 1–1 2–9 1–4 3–2 2–1 3–1 — 1–4
Żejtun Corinthians 3–1 1–2 2–1 1–0 2–3 1–1 4–0 0–0 2–0 2–3 —
Updated to match(es) played on 10 April 2022. Source: Malta Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Challenge League Group B Results
Home \ Away FGU LSA MSA MĠA PHS QND SEN STA SWI TAR ŻEB
Fgura United — 1–1 1–2 2–0 0–1 5–1 2–2 2–5 0–0 1–3 3–0
Luqa St. Andrew's 1–2 — 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–0 0–2 0–8
Marsa 1–1 1–1 — 1–0 1–2 1–0 5–0 2–0 2–2 1–0 1–3
Mġarr United 1–0 1–0 0–2 — 0–2 2–2 1–0 1–4 1–2 0–4 0–4
Pietà Hotspurs 1–3 5–0 2–0 3–0 — 3–2 1–0 3–1 3–1 1–3 0–1
Qrendi 1–2 2–1 0–4 3–1 1–1 — 2–3 3–2 1–1 1–2 2–0
Senglea Athletic 2–3 1–0 3–5 0–0 0–6 2–3 — 2–1 0–1 1–6 0–3
St. Andrews 1–2 3–1 1–1 2–0 0–0 2–0 3–2 — 2–2 1–3 0–1
Swieqi United 1–0 0–0 2–1 1–1 2–2 1–3 1–0 1–4 — 2–2 0–3
Tarxien Rainbows 1–4 3–0 1–1 3–1 2–2 2–0 3–3 2–2 0–0 — 1–1
Żebbuġ Rangers 2–1 4–0 3–1 0–0 0–1 2–1 4–1 0–2 3–1 2–2 —
Updated to match(es) played on 10 April 2022. Source: Malta Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Championship play-offs

Championship Final
23 April 2022 Pembroke Athleta1-1 (a.e.t.)
(3–5 p)		 Żebbuġ Rangers Ta' Qali
15:00 CEST
  • Erikys da Silva Ferreira 11'
  • Shalon Diacono 79'
 Stadium: Centenary Stadium

References
  1. "Sports ban forces termination of domestic competitions". MFA. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  2. "MFA EXCO step up fight against money laundering and bad practices in Maltese football". Times of Malta. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  3. "MFA Exco approve proposals to increase of number of overseas players in matchday squads". Times of Malta. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  4. "New format proposed by MFA EXCO for expanded Challenge League". Times of Malta. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  5. "MFA Council to vote for composition of national competitions for 2021-22 season on Tuesday". Times of Malta. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  6. "AChallenge League side Marsa FC deducted two points after Pietà melee". SportsDesk. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
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