Pietà Hotspurs and St. Andrews have officially joined the elite group for the second phase of the BOV Challenge League following a decisive round of matches on Saturday, 14th February 2026. They join Balzan, Melita, Birżebbuġa St. Peter’s, Sirens, Swieqi United, and Fgura United in the Top 8.

Match Highlights

• Pietà Hotspurs 3–1 Żurrieq: At the Sirens Stadium, Pietà secured their spot with an early penalty from Arthur Stelmach (8′) followed by an Owen Magro brace (34′, 40′). Żurrieq’s Gabriel Aquilina scored a consolation goal in the 58th minute.
• St. Andrews 2–1 Santa Lucia: In a high-stakes encounter at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, Michael Zuo put St. Andrews ahead (35′). Taylon doubled the lead in stoppage time (90+3′), while Filip Petkovski pulled one back for Santa Lucia just before the final whistle (90+6′).
• Melita 1–0 Vittoriosa Stars: Zak Grech‘s strike nine minutes into the second half (54’) was enough for Melita to claim all three points.
• Birżebbuġa St. Peter’s 3–0 Żebbuġ Rangers: Birżebbuġa returned to form aided by two own goals (40′, 58′) and a late strike by Alex Bruno (90+4′).
• Gudja United 0–0 Mġarr United: A goalless stalemate at the Centenary Stadium effectively ended the Top 8 aspirations for both sides.

Final Standings – First Phase

The league now splits into two groups for the remainder of the season. The top two teams in the Top 8 will earn promotion to the Premier League.