Champions Valletta take on Mosta and Qormi face Naxxar Lions in the two BOV Premier League matches scheduled for Sunday at the National Stadium, kick-off at 18:30 and 20:30 respectively.
In the first game, Qormi and Naxxar Lions both hope to start the season on a positive note. Both sides worked hard to strengthen their squad this summer.
Naxxar secured the services of Andrew Scicluna, David Fenech and Malta international striker Terence Vella and three new foreigners – Emmanuel Ibok Edet from Floriana, Mbachu Uchenna Emenike and Sidney Fraga Nery da Silva.
Qormi, on the other hand, secured the services of Bjorn Bondin from Valletta and Ryan Micallef from Rabat and foreigners Zoran Levnaic from Hibernians, Frank Temile from Birkirkara, Albert Bruce, Anderson Santos, Mauricio Mazzetti and Pietro Viggiani.
In the second game, Valletta face Mosta.
The Citizens hope to bounce back from a defeat to Birkirkara in the BOV Super Cup final. Nicky Vella, Ryan Camilleri, Hugo Faria, Adrian Zahra, Raphael Kooh Sohna and Christian Caruana are set to make their league debut for Gilbert Agius’ side with Steve Borg making his return after the South African club he was due to sign for, withdrew its offer.
The Blues, on the other hand, had several changes in their squad, retaining only Jonas Ekani Rodriguez and Bojan Kaljevic from last season’s foreign line-up but they signed Daniel Mariano Bueno, Pedro dos Santos Calcado and Serbians Nemanja Milovanovic and Sasa Jovanovic. Other new signings include goakeeper Kyle Gerada, Karl Pulo and Kurt Magro while Dyson Falzon returns with the club for a one-year loan.
Pedrinho and Ekani are ruled out through suspension.