MFA officials Rodney Pisani (left) and Bjorn Vassallo during yesterday’s draw.

Holders Birkirkara and Valletta are on course to meet in the fourth round of this season’s FA Trophy if, as expected, they win their third-round ties against Kirkop United and Xewkija Tigers, respectively.

The prospect of an early showdown between two heavyweights of Maltese football, who met in the semi-finals of last year’s KO competition, was the main talking point after the draws for the third and fourth rounds of the FA Trophy were made yesterday by MFA general secretary Bjorn Vassallo and Rodney Pisani, the head of the association’s competitions department.

Hibernians, the league champions face a tricky start to their FA Trophy campaign after being paired with Mosta in the only all-Premier League encounter of the third round, to be played between December 1 and 15.

Having suffered a 4-1 rout to Mosta in their last league meeting, Hibernians, who lost 2-0 to Birkirkara in the final of the FA Trophy last season, will not have been too pleased with the outcome of yesterday’s draw as the remaining 10 top-flight clubs were kept apart.

A total of 32 teams will be involved in the third round with the 12 Premier League teams entering the fray at this stage while the remaining 20 have progressed from the first two rounds of the competition.

The top six-placed teams in the Premier League last season, namely Hibernians, Valletta, Birkirkara, Balzan, Floriana and Sliema Wanderers, were seeded for the third-round draw.

The game between Valletta and Xewkija, the GFA champions, is likely to elicit significant interest among Gozitan supporters as the fixture will be played on the sister island.

St Lawrence Spurs and Għajnsielem, the other two Gozitan clubs to have reached the third round, will also face Premier League opponents after being drawn against Floriana and Qormi respectively.

Balzan, Sliema Wanderers, Naxxar Lions, Pembroke Athleta and Tarxien Rainbows will meet Fgura United, Vittoriosa Stars, Lija Athletic, San Ġwann and Żebbuġ Rangers, all from Division One.

St Andrew’s will be involved in a derby after being drawn against neighbouring club Swieqi United.

Sta Venera Lightnings, the only Division Three team to advance to the third round after beating Birżebbuġa St Peter’s, will be up against Għargħur, from Division Two.

Third round draw
Birkirkara vs Kirkop United; Mosta vs Hibernians; Balzan vs Fgura United; Xewkija Tigers vs Valletta; Floriana vs St Lawrence Spurs; Vittoriosa Stars vs Sliema Wanderers; Swieqi United vs St Andrew’s, Qormi vs Għajnsielem; Naxxar Lions vs Lija Athletic; Pietà Hotspurs vs Żejtun Corinthians; Sta Venera Lightnings vs Għargħur; Pembroke Athleta vs San Ġwann; Rabat Ajax vs Melita; Żabbar St Patrick vs Gżira United; Żebbuġ Rangers vs Tarxien Rainbows; St George’s vs Mqabba.

Ties to be played on December 1, 2, 15 and 16.

Fourth round pairings
Mosta/Hibernians vs Pembroke/San Ġwann; Floriana/St Lawrence Spurs vs Naxxar Lions/Lija; Qormi/Għajnsielem vs Żebbuġ Rangers/Tarxien Rainbows; Swieqi/St Andrew’s vs Żabbar St Patrick/Gżira; Balzan/Fgura vs Rabat/Melita; Pietà/ Żejtun vs St George’s/Mqabba; Birkirkara/Kirkop vs Xewkija/Valletta; Sta Venera/Għargħur vs Vittoriosa Stars/Sliema Wanderers.

Ties to be played on January 19-20.