Three more teams secured their place in the Round of 16 of the Enemed Jubilee Cup following hard-fought victories in the Round of 32. Valletta, Żabbar St Patrick, and Gżira United each recorded narrow wins to continue their cup journey.

Valletta 1–0 Melita: Yankam Makes the Difference

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Valletta booked their spot in the next round after a 1–0 victory over Melita, thanks to a moment of brilliance from substitute Yannick Yankam.

Yankam entered the match in the 69th minute, replacing Jake Azzopardi, and just three minutes later unleashed a stunning long-range strike that flew past goalkeeper Gosef Mizzi into the back of the net.

This proved to be the only goal of the game, as Thane Micallef’s side advanced to face Mġarr United in the Round of 16.

Referee: Joseph Scerri

Line-ups:

• Valletta: Timothy Aquilina, Zachary Cassar, Andrea Zammit, Andrei Ciolacu, Brandon Paiber (C), Jake Azzopardi, Shaft Keith Brewer Jr, Neil Anthony Micallef, Yuri Messias, Sava Radic, Thaylor Aldama.
• Melita: Gosef Mizzi (GK), Alec Sladden, Karl Mohnani, Nick Cutajar, Alan Borg Olivier (C), Gareth Barone, Eric Mensah, Josuael Azzopardi, Quadri Olanshile Allionida, Jesus Andres Morlets, Kurt Bondin.

Żabbar St Patrick 1–0 Pietà Hotspurs: Cejas Sends Żabbar Through

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Żabbar St Patrick edged Pietà Hotspurs 1–0 to progress to the next round.

The decisive goal arrived in the 27th minute when Pedro Santiago Cejas reacted quickest to a deflected ball following a Toni Brito E Silva effort, slotting home from close range.

Żabbar will now face Naxxar Lions in the Round of 16.

Referee: Vladimir Rizoski

Line-ups:

• Żabbar St Patrick: Jonathan Grech (GK), Pedro Santiago Cejas, Brian Gambarte (C), Nicholas Agius, Jake Micallef, Zean Leonardi, Vinicius De Paiva, Ryan Scicluna, Toni Brito E Silva, Mayron Marques Barbosa da Rocha, Kean Scicluna.
• Pietà Hotspurs: Reeves Cini (GK) (C), Shaun Xiberras, Jayden Vella, Isaac Cutajar, Sheldon Borg, Jeremy Micallef, James Brincat, Owen Magro, Gabriel Nazareno Mannino, Renan Farias, Emmanuel Bio.

Gżira United 2–1 Fgura United: Maroons Survive a Scare

Gżira United secured their qualification with a 2–1 win over Fgura United at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, though their Challenge League opponents pushed them all the way.

Fgura came close to opening the scoring early on when Hidesato Ueda struck the post with a header. Gżira responded with a good chance through Andre Penha da Costa, but Yenz Cini denied him from close range.

The deadlock was broken in the 33rd minute when Andre Penha da Costa advanced through the middle and finished clinically past Cini. Fgura nearly equalised before the break, but Andrew Borg cleared a shot from Dylan Caruana off the line.

In the second half, Brooklyn Borg doubled Gżira’s advantage in the 51st minute with a composed close-range finish. Caleb Akande pulled one back for Fgura in the 73rd minute, and Ueda threatened late on, but Gżira goalkeeper Karl Sargent stood firm.

Referee: Matthew De Gabriele

Line-ups:

• Gżira United: Karl Sargent, Pablo Esteban, Deacon Abela, Andrew Borg, Brooklyn Borg, Andre Carlos, Clayton Failla, Luis Carlos Riascos, Jork Eblin, David Xuereb, Johan Josue Bonilla.
• Fgura United: Yenz Cini, Haytham Abdelghani, Andrew Xuereb, Dylan Caruana, Samuel Buhagiar, Alan Abdel Rahman, Nicholas Andrews, Matteo Gambin, Michael Gatt, Nagba Marshall, Hidesato Ueda.

🏆 Next Round Outlook

With these victories, Valletta, Żabbar St Patrick, and Gżira United join the growing list of teams advancing to the Round of 16 of the Enemed Jubilee Cup. Valletta will face Mġarr United, Żabbar will meet Naxxar Lions, while Gżira await their next opponents.

The competition is heating up as the knockout phase intensifies, promising more thrilling encounters ahead.