Malta suffers defeat against Bulgaria despite strong second-half showing

Photos by Craig Camilleri

UEFA UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP 2025
LEAGUE B – GROUP B5
10.04.25
Centenary Stadium, Ta’ Qali, Malta

MALTA….0
BULGARIA…3
(HT 0-2)

Stoilov 18 (BUL), Minkov 39 (BUL), Tsonov 82 (BUL)

Earlier today, the second stage of the UEFA Under-17 Championship 2025 kicked off with Malta being drawn with Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and the Faroe Islands.

Our first opponents were a strong Bulgarian team, who were eliminated for the U17 Finals November last year in a compelling group with Turkey and Serbia. The UEFA introduced this new system, a separation into League A and B after the first round, as all team will compete for promotion to League A for qualifying round 1 of the 2026/27 U19 EURO.

The Bulgarians, therefore, will clearly start as tournament favourites, and this morning they managed to beat the hosts 3-0 in a convincing way, based on a strong first-half performance. Much of the second-half belonged to Malta however, who deserved a goal and came close on a number of occasions.

Coach Francesco Macri gave defender Andreas Vella a place in the starting line-up, who joined Palermo November last year from Melita, one of two foreign based players in the squad with towering Chesterfield striker Gunnar Elliott starting on the bench, entering the fray half-way the second period. On the side of the Bulgarians, centre-back Bozhidar Zhechev and playmaker Martin Peychev where the only two foreign based starters, playing for Sampdoria and West Ham United respectively.

The visitors dictated play from the start and took the lead on 18 minutes when the Maltese defence failed to deal properly with a free-kick by Ilian Gatinski and Radostin Stoilov was on hand to tap in at the second post. Two minutes later, Peychev produced a run deep into the Maltese box, cutting back to captain Kaloyan Bozhkov who blasted high from and ideal angle. The same Bozhkov released a 20-meters distance grounder on 23 minutes but Malta goalkeeper Adam Newell paraded well.

Just before the half-hour mark, Malta lost the ball on midfield in the built-up, with Nikola Genchev progressing through the middle but his well-taken shot hit the post with the hosts escaping. Moments later, Newell came out well to block a Maksim Minkov attempt while on 36 minutes, Newell blocked a Stoilov opportunity in style. But three minutes later there was nothing the Maltese custodian could do to avoid the second Bulgarian goal, with Minkov doubling from another neat Bulgarian attack.

The Maltese boys came out of the dressing rooms with renewed energy and straight after the re-start, Malta could have pulled one back through Scott Camilleri, who was sent in the clear, with Bulgarian goalkeeper Ognian Vladimirov also blocking the rebound of Zyas Vella-Newell. On 53 minutes, the Bulgarian goalie did again well to parade a Scott Camilleri attempt from 20-meterts distance.

On the hour, Matteo-Paolo Grech missed perhaps the best Malta opportunity of the match when, from a Gianluca Cauchi cross, the unmarked Valletta striker somehow failed to connect in the six-yard box. Malta continued to show the better ideas however, pushing the Bulgarians into their own half.

On 73 minutes, the Bulgarian goalkeeper misjudged a long-distance attempt of Zyas Vella-Newell but the Maltese could not profit from the resultant corner kick. Malta goalkeeper Newell was occasionally tested with a few shots from outside the area which did not particularly trouble the Pieta’ Hotspurs custodian. But on 82 minutes, Bulgaria scored their third with the towering Samuil Tsonov heading home from a Aleksandar Kalchev cross from the right flank.

Close to the end or regular time, Elliott tested Vladimirov once more with a long-distance attempt but the Bulgarian shot-stopper paraded the attempt of the Maltese substitute, which proved to be the last action of the game.

On Thursday afternoon, Luxembourg will meet the Faroe Islands at the same venue, kick off 14:30hrs. Malta will come back in action on Sunday morning against Luxembourg, also at the Centenary Stadium with the same kick-off time as today, 11:00hrs.

Malta
Adam Newell, Emerson Mejlak (Sky Chetcuti 81'), Keerin Formosa (Ben Gaerty 46'), Sami Abo Assaf, Andreas Vella, Gianluca Cauchi, Zyas Vella-Newell, Jack Camilleri, Daniel Pawley (Matteas Caruana 81'), Scott Camilleri (Gunner Elliott 68'), Matteo Paolo Grech
Coach: Francesco Macri

Bulgaria
Ognian Vladimirov, Emanuil Nyagolov, Bozhidar Zhechev, Stoyan Lazarov, Martin Portarski, Radostin Stoilov (Ventislav Mihaylov 83'), Kaloyan Bozhkov, Martin Peychev (Valentino Varbanov 65'), Nikola Genchev (Sasho Grancharov 65'), Ilian Gatinski (Aleksandar Kalchev 74'), Maksim Minkov (Samuil Tsonov 74')
Coach: Todor Simov

Referee
Aaron Wyn Jones (Wales)

Yellow cards
Vella-Newell, J.Camilleri (MLT), Stoilov (BUL)