by The Assikura Women’s Youth League is in full swing and heading into its final set of matches in this calendar year. Coaches in the league provided their view as the table shows reshuffles since previous years. There was plenty to dissect as Hibernians are perched at the top with a healthy gap and newcomers Lija-Mgarr struggle for results, amid a bunched up, yet reshuffled, middle pack led by San Gwann.
Hibs Flying High As Lija-Mgarr Partnership Tested
The Assikura Women’s Youth League is mid-way through its year. With a shuffled up tally and rule changes in age brackets and minutes to be played that have been under the spotlight from several angles, it’s time to close the calendar year with some insight from those leading the charges within the U21 League.
Kathleen Saliba has been leading Hibernians to a stellar campaign. A core piece of the group has been developing under Saliba’s tutelage since their exploits in the U16 league, with a few making the leap in the past two years to the middle-league, the Assikura Women’s Youth League. Aided by a few new signings to the team who come into the group with experience following also the expanded age bracket to U21, the team has been hard to stop.
Currently unbeaten in ten outings, with just one draw, the side have been commanding to say the least. They’ve carved out a twelve point lead which mid-way through the season puts them as heavy favourites for the title.
Kathleen Saliba feels that the team is motivated to maintain the current momentum with sight set on the long-term goals in their development, “Our players are highly motivated and are making good progress. We’re doing well in the U21 league and I think we have the potential to achieve more. Lucky enough we have new young players and my target is always to build a good relation with the girls and most important to have a strong unity as a team.”
Commanding big numbers in every age bracket, Kathleen Saliba gave insight into the importance of communication in managing players’ load across the different leagues and their national team exploits, in view of their development.
“Coaching teams at different levels is a challenge, but I work closely with all players to ensure they understand the importance of each game and each appearance. The balance between players playing in the U21 league and those called up to the national team is managed professionally. I also work with Hibernians women’s staff to ensure all players are fit and ready for each challenge.”
Saliba admitted the challenges in balancing the load, but hailed the efforts of those working inside the club to support, “It is quite hard to control this time balance especially when players are injured. However, I am lucky enough to have a big number and a good level of players to choose from.”
At the other end of the table are Lija-Mgarr, a partnership in its first season that is yet to find success in the results table. Joe Borg was questioned about the biggest challenges faced and whether he is surprised by the level brought by other teams. He said, “The majority of the teams are set up well with players and have shown a higher level of football. We’re just starting out as two teams trying to integrate as one.”
The joining of clubs in youth age groups is not a first, but several of these ventures have not yielded much success long-term. In this case, the parent clubs have had widely different setups this season in the women’s game. Lija Athletic withdrew from the senior competition altogether, while Mgarr United are flying at the top of the Assikura Women’s League table unbeaten, having also won the Women’s Jubilee Cup.
Questioned about the impacts of these two contrasting ventures in steering this team, Borg didn’t open much about how the internal operation of the team is going, given the two parent clubs’ exploits. However, casting a high-level view he replied, “Mgarr’s senior team is focused on challenging, so this is where they are putting their focus. As Lija-Mgarr we are focused on raising the next generation of players so that they can too make the jump into senior team football when their time comes.”
Bunched Mid-Table
While the front runners and the bottom-table side are far apart, the second team in the table is separated from the fifth by just six points. San Gwann are currently holding 19 points in second place, followed by Birkirkara (17), Swieqi United (15) and Valletta (13). With teams having dropped points against each other, it is turning out to be a fairly even competition among them, though the level itself is one to be gone through with a finer comb.
Balancing A Team Between Senior & U21 Competitions
San Gwann’s Denilson Borg reflected on the effort to raise the team’s profile in the league over a number of years which is bearing fruit in the table as they find themselves in the upper rungs for the first time. He said, “We had a very good pre-season, acquired good players who integrated well and those who have been with us for a longer stint knew exactly what I expect from them.”
Probed about the expectations against the current position, he continued, “Hibernians are in excellent form, they have a deep squad, with experience and quality in their ranks. That is making a big difference in the league.”
However, while there’s a gap to the leaders, Borg cast a positive stance on the team’s trajectory, “Our first aim has been to create a clear identity and change the perception of the club from outside. I think we are so far achieving this. I cannot however deny the fact that together with my coaching staff and players, we have the aim for a win in every match.”
San Gwann has in three years gone from a bottom-table team to one that has gained significant points in the women’s leagues across age brackets. However, this season is proving tougher at the senior level to overcome the top four.
Questioned about the challenges faced in taking the team to the next level in making San Gwann as competitive as possible at senior level through youth development, Denilson Borg replied, “Our project is very clear: we would like to integrate young players into the senior team and maintain a competitive status in the the league in the future. This season hasn’t been easy, since the rule limiting playing time (the 135-minute rule) affects the transitioning between the U21 and the senior team matches. It wasn’t part of the original conditions we were planning for, but we are trying our best to adapt.”
Borg hailed the commitment from his team, “Our players are giving their all, they are positive and work hand in hand with us. We are doing our best so that our decisions are taken in the best interest of the club and to continue building real progress in this important project.”
Similarly, Valletta have relied on Anton Cremona to lead both the U21 and the senior team. Though the side is struggling in the senior league, there have been positive results in the U21 league, with points gained against the majority of their nearest mid-table teams.
The coach beamed positively at the progress, “I think we are on the right path when you consider that we started with a lot of new players with the team and several who are under nineteen years. We are making steady progress in every match. I think it is also worth mentioning that we have competed with a squad that is entirely Maltese against several teams who have also foreign additions to their squads. I am happy with our progress. It is important to continue pushing forward to bring as many positive results as we can.”
Questioned about the next steps for the team, Cremona replied, “I think as a club we must continue developing these players and make the necessary improvements around them. I think it is a no brainer that there is also more investment needed to bring the club at the same level of others in the league.”
Re-Shuffling The Champions
Meanwhile, it has been a tough reckoning for Swieqi United, who after dominating for three years have undergone a coaching change within the first half of the season and find themselves adrift Hibernians whom they beat last year to the league and cup titles in the U19 section.
Francesco Galluzzo has made way after a short stint with the team. The side is now led by Jeremy Busuttil, who also leads the U16 group under the Swieqi ZSP namesake.
Having taken over mid-way through the campaign, Jeremy Busuttil was questioned for his thoughts on what the biggest challenge is to get the team to go up the table, “Being sixteen points off the leaders, the main challenge is building cohesion and consistency. The squad has changed from last year, with several players moving up from the U16s, and it naturally takes time for everyone to settle and understand each other’s strengths.”
However, having already built the relationship with the squad in their development, the coach is positive on the impact that continuation will have on the team, “I’ve already worked with these players last year, as assistant coach of U21 and U16 lead coach, so I know their potential. Currently with the new group and new staff, our priority for the rest of the season is to grow together – getting the players comfortable with one another and with our coaching approach. Our aim is to create a safe, positive environment where they can express themselves, enjoy the game, and keep improving. If we do that well, I’m certain that the results and progress up the table will follow.”
One of the things that characterised the team this year has been rotations in playing positions, but there has been evident shortage in numbers within the squad. Questioned whether he feels his link to the U16 team will lead to more players being promoted to balance the transition into the U21 league, Busuttil began by hailing the players, “There has been a lot of rotation, but with a small squad I want to thank the players for their commitment throughout the season so far – they’ve been excellent.”
As for promotions, he continued, “When it comes to promoting U16 players, we need to find the right balance. U16 and U21 football are very different in age, physicality, and even pitch conditions, so we can’t rush their transition.”
Despite this, he highlighted the club’s targets in integrating these players in training with the older age groups to aid their development and transition, “Training with the U21s and even the senior team will help them grow, and I want to thank coach Dorianne (Theuma, senior team coach) for always supporting the younger players. While we trust our youth, they still need time to settle. Our job is to introduce them gradually, make them feel welcome, and ensure they’re in the best condition to learn, enjoy the game, and develop without extra pressure.”
The Last Calendar Outing
The teams will be in action between today and tomorrow as the Assikura Women’s Youth League enters its final matchday for the calendar year of 2025.
The Centenary Stadium will host Lija-Mgarr against Birkirkara at 20:00, while Swieqi United meet Valletta at the Charles Abela Stadium (20:30) this evening. Tomorrow will close out commitments with the top of the table clash between San Gwann and Hibernians at Mgarr Ground at 20:30.
The Sporting Fan reached out to Birkirkara‘s representative for comment but none were received at the time of writing.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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