by Hibernians completed the U21 double with a 6-1 victory over Valletta in a final shaped as much by atmosphere and occasion as the scoreline itself. From the Mother’s Day walkout to Valletta’s vocal support at Luxol, Kathleen Saliba admitted the equaliser “gave us a boost to bring our real football,” while Julian Buhagiar insisted “a player with a strong attitude is unbeatable” as the Citizens continued building their long-term pathway in the women’s game.
An Equaliser That Tested Resolve
The 2025/26 competitive season reached its conclusion on Sunday morning as Hibernians completed the U21 double with a 6-1 victory over Valletta in the Assikura Women’s Youth Knockout final.
Yet for a brief spell, the final threatened to move away from the expected script. After Sarah Vella Barberi had opened the scoring for the Paolites, Valletta forced themselves level making the most of a press by Somaya Muscat on the goalkeeper, blocking the attempted clearance that send the ball rolling back into the net amid loud celebrations from the Citizens’ support.
Rather than destabilising Hibernians, however, the equaliser appeared to sharpen them. The Paolites regained control before half-time and never truly relinquished it thereafter.
“The goal was a mistake we created ourselves,” Hibernians coach Kathleen Saliba reflected after the match. “I think it actually gave us a boost to bring our real football to the match.”
For Valletta, simply reaching another final marked another milestone for a women’s sector still only four years into its existence.
Julian Buhagiar has been the founding coaching pillar in Valletta since their start in the women’s game. However, he was not involved at the level this season until the beginning of the Knockout, with the Valletta coach having previously been focused solely on the U16 group.
“I think we made big strides in this competition,” Buhagiar explained. “I knew several of the players who were with me last year, but there are also many players who changed. Throughout these few matches I focused on ensuring that the players brought the right mentality in training and then translated it to the pitch.”
Even against the strongest side in the age group this season, Valletta continued searching for moments to disrupt the match, with their equaliser reflecting the aggressive mentality Buhagiar has sought to instil within the squad.
“I believe that attitude and mentality are what take you far,” he said. “Technical quality in a player is important, but a player with a strong attitude is unbeatable. So, I push my players a lot on this.”
Mother’s Day In A Buoyant Atmosphere
The Paolites made the day extra special in celebration of Mother’s Day. A moment of appreciation for all involved as players took to the pitch with their mums alongside them.
Kathleen Saliba underlined the impact of the moment, “It’s something we’ve never seen in the women’s game and one that came out from within the group. It was quite an emotional moment even for me. I thank my own son who came to watch me today with the team.”
A final that is usually played at the Centenary Stadium was shifted to the Luxol Stadium as the Centenary hosted the boys’ U17 Knockout final between Hibernians and Pieta Hotspurs.
The Luxol Ground was once a familiar home for much of the women’s game locally and questioned about the change, Kathleen Saliba discussed the return to Luxol fondly, “It had been a while since we played here. However, I had many fond memories here as a player where I lifted many honours, so I used this to motivate my players and I’m happy we made a new one here.”
The Citizens were once more backed by a loud support, complete with a band, that Julian Buhagiar welcomed, “It’s always a positive thing for our players to play in stadiums like the Centenary and the Luxol. Our supporters are mostly parents who are always behind us and I thank them for their presence. I am very proud of our players, the parents and everyone who came to support us today.”
Next Step For Hibs As Valletta’s Buhagiar Pushes On
Ultimately, any doubt as to who was lifting the trophy was quashed fairly early.
Hibernians coach Kathleen Saliba felt the result was true to the proceedings in the match, a reflection of the Paolites’ dominance this season, “I think it was a match that reflected our strengths this year. The heat and the fact we played in the morning may have played a part. To their credit Valletta showed determination until the end and the fact that it is a final always has an impact emotionally. However, the result reflected the balance of the match.”
On the other side, Valletta is a relative newcomer with just four years under its belt in the women’s sector. Knockout competition finals are something that the side has consistently featured in at youth level.
Focusing on this year’s exploit at U21 level, he said, “We deserved to be in the final following two hardfought matches against Lija-Mgarr and Birkirkara. Today we started off well, missed some opportunities, but then once you concede twice, it’s a tough position to come back from mentally, especially in the women’s game.”
Julian Buhagiar underscored the team is determined to work its way forward in the women’s game when questioned about the relevance of these finals for the Citizens’ involvement.
“We started four years ago, I started the team from nothing – not one player,” he remarked. “We didn’t compete the first year due to the numbers and went into the competitions the next year. We reached the U16 final in the first year and won it the next. This year we reached the final again in the U16, and now in the U21 as well. I think looking at those statistics there is a positive future. We have a good number of players and these experiences are crucial for the future.”
The double signals another step in Hibernians’ attempt to re-establish themselves at the summit of the women’s game. The question now lingers as to whether having gradually lifted the U16 and the U21 titles, season 2026/27 will be the year for Hibernians to clinch the historic thirteenth title in the senior competition.
As for Valletta, two finals continue to put the team’s youth ambitions in the right trajectory. The question remains whether the 2026/27 season will finally allow the senior side to address the structural gaps that still separate promise from competitiveness.
Lead Image: Malta FA
Stay up to date by following The Sporting Fan on social media: Instagram ~ Facebook ~ X
