Gozo national football team

The Gozo representative football team represents the island of Gozo, Malta, in football. It is organised by the Gozo Football Association and its home stadium is the Gozo Stadium.

Gozo
AssociationGozo Football Association (Assoċjazzjoni tal-Futbol Għawdxija)
ConfederationNone
Home stadiumGozo Stadium
First colours
First international
 Provence 3–1 Gozo 
(Novara, Italy; June 22, 2009)
Biggest win
 Gozo 17-1 Raetia 
(Xewkija, Malta; January 14, 2012)
Biggest defeat
Ironi Tiberias 6–0 Gozo

Macedonia 8-2 Gozo
Moscow Oblast 6–0 Gozo

Bavaria 6–0 Gozo

It is not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA and therefore is not eligible to enter either the World Cup or European Championship. The Gozo representative football team, however, competed in the 2009 Viva World Cup and hosted the subsequent edition in the following year.[1] As of 2018, Gozo[2] has also participated in the last four editions of the UEFA Regions' Cup, on top of their appearance in the inaugural edition in 1999. Occasionally, the Gozo representative football team also plays friendlies against football clubs, particularly those from the mainland.

History

Historical records suggest that a team representing the island of Gozo had already played a couple of matches way before the turn of the millennium.[3] Indeed, during the 1970s a side representing Gozo was invited to join in the Independence celebrations and play 2 friendly matches against local sides. Other historical records indicate that a Gozitan team might have been involved in more matches during this period.[4]

The Gozo Football Association's decision to organise Gozo F.C. and have it play in the Maltese football league system might be the reason behind the lengthy hiatus of the Gozo representative national team. Indeed, the next known Gozitan appearance came in 1999, when a selection representing Gozo played in first edition of the UEFA Regions Cup. Ten years after, specifically in 2009, the Gozo representative football team debuted in the Viva World Cup. In the following year, Gozo hosted the 2010 edition of the Viva World Cup and therefore, once again, Gozo had the opportunity to participate in the said Cup. Overall, Gozo's performance was disappointing as they finished at the bottom of their group but the team could find solace in the fact that the win against Provence was their first ever win on the field against international opponents.[5] Gozo's appearance in the 2010 Viva World Cup was, however, their last appearance in the now-defunct competition.

That said, the launching of the Gozo Cup[6] during the same year presented an opportunity for the representative side to play friendly matches against Maltese football clubs. The Gozo Cup ran for four consecutive years and during the intervening period Gozo also played a number of friendlies, including the famous 17–1 victory against the Raetia national football team in Xewkija.[7] Since then, Gozo's appearances have been limited to the UEFA Regions' Cup. Indeed, the Gozitan representative football team appearance in the 2017 edition of the bi-annual UEFA Regions Cup marked Gozo's participation in, and hosting of, the tournament for the third edition running.[8]

Tournament Records

At VIVA World Cup
Year Position GP W D L GF GA
2006 Did not enter
2008
20096th place3003412
20105h place310238
2012Did not enter
Total6105720

At UEFA Regions' Cup
Year Position GP W D L GF GA
1999Preliminary3003218
2001 Did not enter
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013Intermediary3111510
2015Intermediary310245
2017Intermediary301218
2019Intermediary3003113
Total1522111354

Match History

Selected international matches
22 June 2009 2009 Viva World Cup, Group Stage Provence  3–1  Gozo Novara, Italy
17:00 CET Hammoud  36', 77'
Hammami  90+1'		 (Report) Camilleri  73' Stadium: Stadio Silvio Piola
Attendance: 100
Referee: Buonanno
24 June 2009 2009 Viva World Cup, Group Stage Sápmi  7–2  Gozo Brescia, Italy
17:00 CET Thomassen  12', 16', 17'
Eira  48'
Reginiussen  52', 84'
Bruer  78'		 (Report) Bugeja  79', 86' Stadium: Stadio Mario Rigamonti
Attendance: 80
Referee: Baker Seerwand Salman
26 June 2009 2009 Viva World Cup, 5th place match Occitania  2–1  Gozo Brescia, Italy
17:00 CET Ballue  19'
Cantier  62'		 (Report) Camilleri  80' Stadium: Stadio Mario Rigamonti
31 May 2010 2010 Viva World Cup, Group Stage Gozo  1–2  Padania Xewkija, Gozo
20:15 CET Camilleri  40' Report Nannini  7'
Prandelli  82'		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Per Anders Blind (Sweden)
2 June 2010 2010 Viva World Cup, Group Stage Gozo  0–5  Occitania Xewkija, Gozo
19:30 CET Report Ballue  1' (pen.), 36'
Taillan  61'
Amiel  88'
Soro  90+2'		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Per Anders Blind (Sweden)
4 June 2010 2010 Viva World Cup, 5th place match Gozo  2–1  Provence Xewkija, Gozo
15:30 CET Buttigieg  59'
Camilleri  89'		 Report Juan  19' (pen.) Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Aaron Fenech (Malta)
14 January 2012 Friendly Gozo  17–1  Raetia Xewkija, Gozo
Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Joe Bajada ((Gozo)

UEFA Regions' Cup
21 June 1999 1999 UEFA Regions' Cup, Preliminary Round Zapadne Srbije 4–0  Gozo Thessaloniki, Greece
Sobotovic  26', 39', 52'
Andric  60'		 Report Stadium: Toumba Stadium
22 June 1999 1999 UEFA Regions' Cup, Preliminary Round Israel Amateur 6–0  Gozo Thessaloniki, Greece
Dabush  8'
Ben-ezra  13', 38'
 55' (o.g.)
Haluani  83'
Maman  88'		 Report Stadium: Toumba Stadium
24 June 1999 1999 UEFA Regions' Cup, Preliminary Round Macedonia 8–2  Gozo Thessaloniki, Greece
Petrousis  4', 62'
Golias  44', 50', 73'
Panapolous  58'
Thomasiades  68'
Geragotis  75'		 [https://www.uefa.com/regionscup/season=1999/matches/round=1267/match=56443/index.html Report} Farrugia  15'
Lautier  31' (pen)		 Stadium: Toumba Stadium
14 October 2012 2013 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  3–2 FK Rīnūži-Strong Xewkija, Gozo
11:30 CET Bezzina  49'
Mercieca  54'
Portelli  78'		 Report Puzirevskis  39'
Simanovskis  88'		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Damir Batinić (Croatia)
16 October 2012 2013 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  0–6 Olimp Moscow Region Xewkija, Gozo
11:30 CET Report Orlov  27', 41', 56'
Asadov  34', 86'
Korobetc  83'		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Richard Trutz (Slovakia)
18 October 2012 2013 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  2–2 Ialoveni Xewkija, Gozo
11:30 CET Stojanovic  59'
Camilleri  63'		 Report Spinu  24'
Tonu  74'		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Richard Trutz (Slovakia)
1 October 2014 2015 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  2–0 Vaasa Xewkija, Gozo
19:30 CET Thiago Melo  67'
Bezzina  84'		 Report Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Nikola Popov (Bulgaria)
3 October 2014 2015 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  1–2 Ankara Xewkija, Gozo
16:30 CET Pavlidis  72' Report Muzaffer İlhan  24'
Nuri Kunduz  74'		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Mitja Žganec (Slovenia)
5 October 2014 2015 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  1–3 South Region – Russia Xewkija, Gozo
16:30 CET Pavlidis  10' Report Mochkarski  21'
Valiulin  22'
Obernibesov  80'		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Nikola Popov (Bulgaria)
5 October 2016 2017 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  0–5 East West Central Scotland Xewkija, Gozo
16:30 CET Report Heaver  12' (pen.)
Moore  56', 87'
Butler  77'
McClure  87'		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Sascha Amhof (Switzerland)
7 October 2016 2017 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  0–0 Ligue Paris Ile-de-France Xewkija, Gozo
13:00 CET Report Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Georgi Vadachkoria (Georgia)
9 October 2016 2017 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  1–3 FC Inhulets Xewkija, Gozo
15:00 CET Mizzi  10' Report Bozhenko  20'
Horshchynskyi  62'
Sorokyn  90' (pen.)		 Stadium: Gozo Stadium
Referee: Georgi Vadachkoria (Georgia)
27 September 2018 2019 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Gozo  0–4 Vojvodina Neustadt an der Donau, Bavaria
17:00 CET Report Hađinac  13'
Grima  25' (o.g.)
Šavija  58'
Papović  85'		 Stadium: Neustadt Stadium
Referee: Roomer Tarajev
30 September 2018 2019 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Bavaria 6–0  Gozo Leiblfing, Bavaria
17:00 CET Marx  26'
Fromholzer  50'
Gebhart  55'
Fischer  60'
Nagengast  81'
Bauer  86' (pen)		 Report Stadium: Leiblfing Stadium
Referee: Luca Barbeno
3 October 2018 2019 UEFA Regions' Cup, Intermediary Round Ironi Tiberias 3–1  Gozo Neustadt an der Donau, Bavaria
14:00 CET Zadok Haker  10'
Yada'N  80'
Cohen  90'		 Report Mizzi 65' Stadium: Neustadt Stadium
Referee: Luca Barbeno

Selected non-international matches
Friendly Asswehly SC 2–1  Gozo Misurata, Libya
Friendly Misurata XI 0–3  Gozo Misurata, Libya

References
  1. "The Fourth Edition of the VIVA World Cup kicks off in Gozo". gozonews.com. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  2. uefa.com. "Regions' Cup - Gozo Region – UEFA.com". UEFA.com. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  3. http://naduryoungsters.com/history/club-elites/club-elites-horace-mercieca/
  4. "- g h a j n s i e l e m o n l i n e -". www.ghajnsielem.com. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  5. "VIVA World Cup: Gozo place fifth — Padania, Kurdistan reach final". maltafootball.com. 4 June 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  6. "Gozo FA launches the Gozo Cup football tournament". gozonews.com. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  7. "Gozo golea a Raetia en el primer amistoso NF Board del año 2012". gamacero.blogspot.com. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  8. "UEFA Regions Cup tournament underway at Gozo stadium". gozonews.com. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
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