Youth FA Leagues and Knock-Out Competitions draws

Youth Football
by Antoine Busuttil

The draws for the Youth Football Association Under-15 and Under-17 Leagues and Knock-Out Competitions were held earlier this week.

Forty-one teams will be taking part in the Under-15 competitions and thirty-eight in the Under-17 competitions.

The league format used in recent years will be retained. Teams from Sections A, B and C will participate in the group phase:
– 8 groups of 3 teams each (according to seeding)
– playing on two rounds.
– determining who will play in which section
— Winner of Group – Section A
— Runner Up – Section B
— Third placed – Section C

Teams in Seed C were granted the option to withdraw from the Group Phase, prior to the draws and compete directly into Section C.

Sections A, B and C will be played on two rounds in both the Under 15 and Under 17 Categories.

Teams from Section D and Section E will be drawn into two groups of eight or nine teams depending on the number of participants. Teams are seeded so that four teams from Section D will be drawn into each of the two groups. The top four teams in each group, after the first round, will form a group of eight teams to play the second round. All points and scores of the first round will be waived.

The winner of the second round will be considered as the winner of section D and will be promoted to Section C the following season. The runner up will also be promoted to Section C the following season.

Under-15 League

Mtarfa, Pembroke Athleta and Sirens opted not to play in the Group Phase and therefore will move directly to Section C. Teams in Groups A, B and C will only play two matches while teams in Groups D to H will play four matches.

Group A: St. Andrews and Balzan. Mtarfa will not play any matches and move directly to Section C.
Group B: Mosta and Birkirkara. Pembroke Athleta will not play any matches and move directly to Section C
Group C: Paola Hibs and Melita. Sirens will not play any matches and move directly to Section C
Group D: Zabbar St. Patrick, Attard and Swieqi United.
Group E: Valletta, Floriana and Zebbug Rangers.
Group F: San Gwann, Gozo and Sliema Wanderers.
Group G: Pieta Hotspurs, Qormi and Lija Iklin.
Group H: Hamrun Spartans, Kirkop United and Marsaxlokk.

Group DE1: Fgura United, Rabat Ajax, Ghaxaq, Tarxien Rainbows, Mqabba, Zurrieq, Xghajra Tornados, Siggiewi and Birzebbuga Windmill.

Group DE2: Luqa St. Andrew’s, Marsaskala, Mgarr United, Naxxar Lions, Gzira United, Mellieha, Santa Venera United and Zejtun Corinthians.

Under-17 League

Group A: Valletta, Zabbar St. Patrick and Pembroke Athleta.
Group B: Hamrun Spartans, Birkirkara and Sliema Wanderers.
Group C: San Gwann, Qormi and Rabat Ajax.
Group D: Paola Hibs, Kirkop United and Naxxar Lions.
Group E: Melita, Zebbug Rangers and Marsaskala.
Group F: St. Andrews, Floriana and Luqa St. Andrew’s.
Group G: Balzan, Swieqi United and Tarxien Rainbows.
Group H: Pieta Hotspurs, Mosta and Mellieha.

Group DE1: Marsaxlokk, Sirens, Zejtun Corinthians, Msida St. Joseph, Siggiewi, Gzira United and Mgarr United.

Group DE2: Mtarfa, Fgura United, Lija Iklin, Attard, Ghaxaq, Xghajra Tornados and Santa Venera United.

Knock-Out Competitions

All teams from Sections A, B and C will participate in the Knock-Out Competition. Teams who finished last season in Section D or have been relegated or promoted to Section D, will also participate in the Knock-Out Competition. Teams from Sections E will not participate in the Knock-Out Competition.

Under-15 Knock-Out Competition

First Round
1Luqa St. Andrew’svsGhaxaq
2VallettavsQormi
3GozovsSwieqi United
4Lija IklinvsBirkirkara
5MarsaxlokkvsTarxien Rainbows
6MtarfavsAttard
7Naxxar LionsvsBalzan
8Sliema WanderersvsZabbar St. Patrick
9St AndrewsvsHamrun Spartans
10Rabat AjaxvsZebbug Rangers
11Pieta HotspursvsKirkop United
12Pembroke AthletavsMarsaskala
13MelitavsFgura United
14SirensvsFloriana
15Mgarr UnitedvsMosta
16San GwannvsPaola Hibs
Second Round
17Winner Match 1vsWinner Match 2
18Winner Match 3vsWinner Match 4
19Winner Match 5vsWinner Match 6
20Winner Match 7vsWinner Match 8
21Winner Match 9vsWinner Match 10
22Winner Match 11vsWinner Match 12
23Winner Match 13vsWinner Match 14
24Winner Match 15vsWinner Match 16
Quarter Finals
25Winner Match 17vsWinner Match 18
26Winner Match 19vsWinner Match 20
27Winner Match 21vsWinner Match 22
28Winner Match 23vsWinner Match 24
Semi Finals
29Winner Match 25vsWinner Match 26
30Winner Match 27vsWinner Match 28
Final
31Winner Match 29vsWinner Match 30

Under-17 Knock-Out Competition

First Round
1BirkirkaravsSan Gwann
2Msida St. JosephvsValletta
3Rabat AjaxvsSwieqi United
4Fgura UnitedvsFloriana
5Luqa St. Andrew’svsMarsaxlokk
6AttardvsPieta Hotspurs
7Kirkop UnitedvsNaxxar Lions
8BalzanvsTarxien Rainbows
9MelitavsZejtun Corinthians
10Zabbar St. PatrickvsPaola Hibs
11Lija IklinvsSliema Wanderers
12Zebbug RangersvsQormi
13MarsaskalavsHamrun Spartans
14MelliehavsSirens
15St. AndrewsvsMtarfa
16MostavsPembroke Athleta
Second Round
17Winner Match 1vsWinner Match 2
18Winner Match 3vsWinner Match 4
19Winner Match 5vsWinner Match 6
20Winner Match 7vsWinner Match 8
21Winner Match 9vsWinner Match 10
22Winner Match 11vsWinner Match 12
23Winner Match 13vsWinner Match 14
24Winner Match 15vsWinner Match 16
Quarter Finals
25Winner Match 17vsWinner Match 18
26Winner Match 19vsWinner Match 20
27Winner Match 21vsWinner Match 22
28Winner Match 23vsWinner Match 24
Semi Finals
29Winner Match 25vsWinner Match 26
30Winner Match 27vsWinner Match 28
Final
31Winner Match 29vsWinner Match 30