Ferdinando Apap is the GFA Player of the Year

The Gozo Football Association officially ended the football season 2018 / 2019 with the annual event of the GFA Awards 2018 / 2019, where the association announced and presented all the individual awards in the different categories and competitions in Gozitan football.  

The main honours were awarded according to the outcome of a voting process carried out by the journalists, the club presidents and the captains of each team.

Ferdinando Apap won the Player of the Year of the GFA.  This is the second time that Apap won the main award in his career as he was already the GFA Player of the Year at the end of the 2013/2014 football season.  Nadur’s Shaun Attard and Victoria Hotspurs’ goalkeeper Adrian Parnis made it to the final for this prestigious honour in Gozitan football. Ferdinando Apap therefore ended a memorable season where he made a historical debut in international football with the National team, by earning a call from the Gozitan football, and was a main protagonist with Victoria Hotspurs who won the GFA Super Cup, the BOV Gozo Football League of the first division and the BOV GFA Cup.

Brazilian striker Elton Da Silva of Victoria Hotspurs won the top scorer of the First Division with thirty goals, and the Best Foreign Player for the First Division for the second consecutive season, while Victoria Hotspurs’ coach Gotthard Conti was awarded the Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.  Kercem’s seventeen year old Nathaniel Mercieca won the honour as the promising player of the year.

Ebube Ralph Okpokwu of Sannat Lions won the top scorer of the Second Division with twenty six goals, Zebbug’s Marcos Peres Vega won the honour as the Best Foreign Player of the Second Division while Sannat’s Joseph Zammit won the honour as the Best Player of the Second Division.

Other honours were awarded for the best player and top scorers of different categories in Women’s football and competitions organised by the Gozo Youth FA.  

At the end of the event the President of the Gozo Football Association, Dr Samuel Azzopardi, delivered a short speech where he thanked all those involved in Gozitan football who are contributing to improve the level of the game in Gozo and stressed about the responsibility of the association to retain football as the main sports activity on the island.

The winners:
GFA Player of the Year: Ferdinando Apap, Victoria Hotspurs
GFA Foreign Player of the Year: Elton Da Silva, Victoria Hotspurs
GFA Promising Player: Nathaniel Mercieca, Kercem Ajax
GFA Coach of the Year: Gotthard Conti, Victoria Hotspurs
GFA Top-scorer BOV Gozo Football league Division I: Elton Da Silva, Victoria Hotspurs 30 goals
GFA Player of the Year Second Division: Joseph Zammit, Sannat Lions
GFA Foreign Player of the Year Second Division: Marcos Peres Vega, Zebbug Rovers
GFA Top-scorer BOV Gozo Football League Division II: Ebube Ralph Okpokwu, Sannat Lions 26 goals.
Gozo Youth FA Player of the Year U/18: Nicholas Iguanez, Nadur Youngsters
Gozo Youth FA Top-scorers U/18: Nathaniel Mercieca, Kercem Ajax; Naim Ibrhim Belhadj, Ghajnsielem 12 goals
Gozo Youth FA Player if the Year U/15: Neil Mifsud, Nadur Youngsters
Gozo Youth FA Top-scorer U/15: Lorenzo Atzori 19 goals
Gozo Youth FA Coach of the Year: John Mark Vella, Oratory Youths
Gozo FC U/15: Player of the Year: Nicholas Grech
Gozo FC Women U/19: Valentina Rapa
GFA Council Member of the Year: Patrick Cassar, St Lawrence Spurs
GFA Good Conduct Award: St Lawrence Spurs
GFA Special Award: Dione Lautier, record holder of goals scored in Maltese football, 306 goals
GFA Special Award: Ferdinando Apap, first player from Gozitan football to be called and played with National team
GFA Special Awards: Ex-Club and GFA Officials Lawrence Mizzi, Munxar Falcons, George Vella Muskat, SK Victoria Wanderers, Joe Xuereb, Sannat Lions; Recognition for long contribution to Gozitan football
GFA Special Awards: Joe Bajada, Mark Cini, Anthony Cassar, James Scicluna, for their dedication with regular media coverage to Gozitan football
GFA Special Award: Gozo Stadium Staff, Recognition for dedication for the maintenance of the Gozo Stadium