The heavyweights have all made it to the quarter-finals but it was the presence of an unheralded club from the third grade of Maltese football that enhanced the appeal of yesterday’s draw.
Division Two side Sirens have defied the odds by reaching the last eight of the KO after a stunning 6-0 victory over Division One high-fliers Gudja United on Wednesday.
As the only team outside the top flight to advance to the quarter-finals, Sirens face a tall order to progress further in the competition but their optimism probably rose yesterday after being drawn against Premier League strugglers Qormi.
The top guns have been kept apart as holders Valletta were paired with Mosta, Hibernians will face Balzan and Birkirkara meet Pietà Hotspurs.
Prior to the draw, Attian Group Services Limited were officially presented as the new sponsors of the FA Trophy. The Italian firm has agreed to sponsor the Cup until the end of the season with an option to extend the deal by another year.
Malta FA general secretary Bjorn Vassallo said the association was committed to creating a framework that provides guidelines and assurances to foreign entrepreneurs who are willing to invest in Maltese football, especially at club level.
David Attianese, a director of Attian Group, explained that his company specialises in environment-friendly building technologies.
Attianese thanked MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo and Vassallo for their co-operation.
In his opening address, Vassallo said the FA Trophy has now reached a very exciting phase.
“This week, we had two Gozitan teams take on Maltese clubs in the fourth round of the FA Trophy,” he said. “We had a feast of football in Gozo and a controversy surrounding the match officials.
“There is never a dull moment in football, on and off the pitch.”
Vassallo was alluding to the contentious episode that occurred in the second half of the cup clash between Nadur Youngsters and Hibs when referee Sandro Spiteri appeared to show a second yellow card to Bjorn Kristensen but failed to dismiss the Hibs midfielder.
It turned out that Spiteri had actually annulled the second caution to Kristensen after the assistant referee drew his attention to the fact that it was Andrei Agius who had committed the handball that led to Nadur being awarded a penalty.
Television replays showed that Agius had cleared the ball with his head.
No protest
In a statement, Nadur Youngsters, who lost the game 3-1, said they respected the principles of fair play.
In noting that the referee’s match report indicated that Kristensen was not given a second yellow card, Nadur said that a protest against the result would have been futile.
During yesterday’s news conference, Vassallo also spoke about the MFA’s renewed efforts to fight match-fixing in football.
Vassallo called for the introduction of a specific law on illegal betting and match-fixing as only the “threat of tough sanctions can act as a powerful deterrent”.
FA Trophy quarter-finals (Ties to be played on Feb. 13-14)
• Qormi vs Sirens
• Mosta vs Valletta
• Balzan vs Hibernians
• Birkirkara vs Pietà Hotspurs