The Gozitan football season 2022/2023 ended with the annual event where the Gozo Football Association presented the individual honours in different categories. All the top officials of the Malta Football Association, the Minister for Gozo and other distinguished guests were present for the event whic took place at a leading hotel in Gozo last month.
The main protagonists of the GFA Awards 2022/2023 were Gozitan players Jordi Parnis and Matthias Cordina, together with foreign players Marcelo Barbosa and Aud-Gustine James Obaje who all won two honours each.
Striker Jordi Parnis of Qala Saints won the main honours of the event, the GFA Player of the Year and the People’s Choice Award.
Xaghra United’s Matthias Cordina, who is 17 years old, won the GFA Best Young Player and the Best Player of the BOV Gozo Football League of the second division.
Mark Buttigieg of Nadur Youngsters won the GFA Coach of the Year.
Marcelo Barbosa of Nadur Youngsters was awarded the honour of the best foreign player of the BOV Gozo Football League of the first division and the Top Scorer of the same championship with 16 goal, while Aud-Gustine James Obaje of SK Victoria Wanderers won the best foreign of the BOV Gozo Football League of the second division and the Top Scorer of the category with 14 goals.
Zebbug Rovers’ club official Josmar Azzopardi won the GFA Official of the Year, while Sannat Lions were awarded the Fair Play Award as they were the team with the least sanctions throughout the season.
The Best Player of the U/19 category was Nathan Chukwudi Njoku of Nadur/Qala, while Gustavo Dourado Ferreira of the same Nadur/Qala was the Top Scorer of the category with 21 goals.
The Gozo Football Association presented three special awards. Lewis Xuereb, who was a player of Salesian Youths during the post war period until the late fifties, was awarded recognition for his contribution to the Gozitan football during the particular difficult period, Frank Muscat, who played with various teams in Gozo and Malta from the early seventies to the mid-nineties, received an award for his achievement in his career by scoring 270 goals, while Johnny Camilleri, who was a regular player for the last 23 years with various teams in Gozo and Malta, received an award for his achievement as he is the player in Malta and Gozo who scored more goals in all competitions, a total of 334 goals.
The President of the Gozo Football Association Dr Samuel Azzopardi delivered a speech where he reiterated the determination of the association to keep improving football in Gozo and thanked the Malta Football Association and the Ministry for Gozo for their continuous support in improving the facilities and the level of the game on the sister island.
Individual Honours 2022/2023:
Jordi Parnis (Qala Saints): GFA Player of the Year, People’s Choice Award,
Matthias Cordina (Xagħra United): GFA Young Player of the Year, Player of the Year BOV Gozo Football League 2nd Division,
Mark Buttigieg (Nadur Youngsters): GFA Coach of the Year,
Marcelo Barbosa (Nadur Youngsters): GFA Foreign Player of the Year and Top scorer (16 goals) BOV Gozo Football League 1st division,
Aud-Gustine James Obaje (SK Victoria Wanderers): GFA Foreign Player of the Year and Top scorer (14 goals) BOV Gozo Football League 2nd division,
Nathan Chukwudi Njoku (Nadur/Qala): GFA Player of the Year U/19,
Gustavo Dourado Ferreira (Nadur/Qala): GFA Top Scorer U/19 (21 goals),
Josmar Azzopardi (Zebbug Rovers): GFA Official of the Year,
Sannat Lions: GFA Fair Play Award,
Lewis Xuereb (Salesian Youths): Recognition Award for contribution to Gozitan football 1948-1958
Frank Muscat: Award for Achievement, 270 goals (1972-1996)
Johnny Camilleri: Award for Achievement, Best all time scorer in Malta and Gozo, 334 goals (2000-2023)
Gozo Youth FA Awards:
In a separate event, the Gozo Youth Football Association also ended the 2022/2023 season with the presentation of individual awards for the Youth sector/
Denzel Bugeja of Xewkija Tigers won the GYFA Player of the Year U/16. Other awards were presented to the best players and top scorers of the Gozo Youth FA league and to the Gozo FC players of U/15 and U/17 who participated in the national league of the Inhobb il-Futbol Foundation. All the players and staff of the Gozo FC U/17 were presented a memento for their success as winners of Section D League.
The President of the Gozo Youth FA Paul Galea received a memento from the administration of the association as he was ending a 12 year career as President of the Youth sector in Gozo.
Gozo Youth FA Individual Honours 2022/2023
Denzel Bugeja (Xewkija Tigers): GYFA Player of the Year U/16
Paul Vella: Best Player Gozo FC U/17
Matteo Camilleri: Best Player Gozo FC U/15
Claudio Briffa: Most Dedicated Player Gozo FC U/17
Ethan Refalo: Most Dedicated Player Gozo FC U/15
Damian Depasquale (Kerċem Ajax): Top Scorer Gozo Youth FA U/16 (18 goals)
Joseph Saliba: Top Scorer Gozo FC U/17 (15 goals)
Jake Sacco: Top Scorer Gozo FC U/15 (8 goals)