Cilia, Denni claim main awards in 9th Melita Malta Football Awards

Birkirkara midfielder Trevor Cilia and Tarxien’s Denni Rocha Dos Santos were voted Best Local Player and Best Foreign Player in the ninth edition of the Melita Malta Football Awards. The gala event was held on Wednesday at the Grand Hotel Excelsior – Floriana.

Birkirkara won another three awards as Shaun Bajada was voted Best Midfielder, Rowen Muscat Most Promising Youngster and Paul Zammit Best Coach.

Tarxien, on the other hand, secured another award through goalkeeper Anthony Curmi who was voted Best Goalkeeper for the second successive year.

Qormi’s Brazilian duo Ramon Dos Santos and Camilo Da Silva Sanvezzo were voted Best Defender and Best Forward while Gilbert Agius won the award for the Best Veteran Player.

Valletta striker Njongo Priso won the award for the Best Goal of the Season – a goal the striker from Cameroon scored in the game against Sliema on April 23. For this award, voting was also open to the general public who had the opportunity to vote through SMS.

Marsaxlokk’s Martin Deanov was voted Best First Division Player while Anatole Debono of St. Andrews and Malcolm Tirchett of Luqa St. Andrews won the awards for the Best Second Division Player and the Best Third Division Player respectively.

Sonia Farrugia (Sliema Raiders) and Joselene Gafa (Gozo) shared the award for the Best Player in the Women’s League. Florin Anton (ZC Excess Futsal) won the award for the Best Futsal Player while John Paul Grima of champions Victoria Hotspurs claimed the award for the Best Melita GFA First Division Player.

Former Hibernians and Malta goalkeeper Freddie Mizzi was presented with the Special Award for the Career.

Other special awards went to foreign-based duo Andrei Agius and Daniel Bogdanovic and Malta international striker Michael Mifsud who established a new record of goals scored for the national team.

The event was presented by Sports Journalist and TV presenter Catherine Micallef along with former goalkeeper Saviour Darmanin.

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