Premier League side Qormi and Second Division club Zebbug Rangers will be facing each other on Wednesday 5th September at the Victor Tedesco Stadium in the King Long Derby Cup which was launched on Friday during a press conference at Bistro 516, Valletta Waterfront.
Qormi president Redino Apap said the objective behind this cup was to revive the traditional rivalry between the two neighbours especially when both clubs used to play in the top divisions.
Apap said this derby cup will also help to bring together more the two clubs, therefore strengthening the relationship between the two clubs.
Zebbug Rangers president Joe Pace thanked Tumas Group for accepting to support this initiative which was meant to attract more people to the two teams and revive the rivalry between the two clubs.
Pace said that Zebbug invested heavily in the technical staff and their facilities. He said the football ground was a top priority as only thanks to it, the nursery could attract more young players who would eventually form the backbone of the club.
With the King Long Derby Cup, the club was hoping to raise the enthusiasm and encourage more supporters to follow Zebbug Rangers.
Qormi coach Stephen Azzopardi said that this cup arrives at the right time when Premier League clubs have a break due to the national team commitments. He said that following the pre-season and the first three league games, taking a break was not ideal and therefore this game which brings an element of competition helps the team maintain momentum.
Azzopardi said he will use the game also to give more opportunities to the younger players in the squad and to other foreigners who have just joined the club.
Zebbug coach Jesmond Zammit said such a game will be a good test for the club just before the Second Division Lague kicks-off. He said Zebbug have invested in younger players and are therefore a relatively new team.
The event will kick-off at 18:00 with two games between the Under-13 and Under-15 sides of the two nurseries. The King Long Derby Cup kicks-off at 19:30. Ticket prices cost €5 for adults and €1 for children.