The 2024/25 BOV Challenge League season will kick-off this weekend, promising a weekend filled with action as the sides commence the hunt for promotion to the top tier.
Marsa, Pieta’ Hotspurs, Senglea Athletic, Zurrieq. Swieqi United, Fgura United, Lija Athletic, Tarxien Rainbows, Zebbug Rangers and St. Andrews are joined by the four teams who were relegated from the Premier League, namely Valletta, Santa Lucia, Sirens and Gudja United and the newly-promoted Mtarfa and Mgarr United.
Once again, the Challenge League will be divided into two phases.
During the First Phase, the league shall be played by all the sixteen clubs on a single round-robin basis and at the end of the First Phase, the top eight teams shall play against each other on a Single Round Robin basis in the Top Eight Round while the bottom eight shall play against each other on a Single Round Robin basis in the Play-Out Round.
At the end of the Second Phase, the top two teams in the Top 8 Round will be promoted and the bottom two teams in the Play-Out Round will be relegated to the National Amateur League 1.
The fixtures for match-day 1 are as follows:
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 14-Sep-2024 | Lija Athletic FC vs Pieta’ Hotspurs FC | 15:00 | Victor Tedesco Stadium |
| Sat 14-Sep-2024 | Zurrieq FC vs Swieqi United FC | 17:30 | Victor Tedesco Stadium |
| Sat 14-Sep-2024 | Sirens FC vs Valletta FC | 18:00 | Centenary Stadium |
| Sat 14-Sep-2024 | Fgura United FC vs St. Andrews FC | 20:30 | Centenary Stadium |
| Sun 15-Sep-2024 | Mgarr United FC vs Gudja United FC | 15:00 | Victor Tedesco Stadium |
| Sun 15-Sep-2024 | Tarxien Rainbows FC vs Mtarfa FC | 17:30 | Victor Tedesco Stadium |
| Sun 15-Sep-2024 | Santa Lucia FC vs Marsa FC | 18:00 | Centenary Stadium |
| Sun 15-Sep-2024 | Senglea Athletic FC vs Zebbug Rangers FC | 20:30 | Centenary Stadium |
Meanwhile to continue improving and streamlining the overall experience for clubs, players, officials and fans, the Malta FA has implemented a number of key initiatives ahead of the season.
Online ticket sales
One of the fundamental changes that has taken place is that for the first time, the BOV Challenge League will go online in the sale of tickets for all matches, starting from this weekend.
The tickets can be bought here.
Club season tickets
In a move aimed at continuing to strengthen the bond between clubs and their loyal fans, BOV Challenge clubs will now be able to directly sell season tickets.
This initiative seeks to give fans a greater sense of belonging, honouring their loyalty and dedication. It will also aim to boost fan attendance in such games.
Challenge League Cup
This season will also mark the introduction of a new competition, the Challenge League Cup. This new knockout competition will be open to the 16 clubs competing in the BOV Challenge League this season.
The draw of this competition will take place at a later date.
Improved facilities
The Malta FA has also undergone projects to continue upgrading the facilities at the grounds hosting the BOV Challenge League. This includes resurfacing works on the Victor Tedesco Stadium’s artificial pitch.