by Birkirkara and Swieqi United will contest each other for a chance to lift the first trophy of the season at 15:00 at the Centenary Stadium. With the two sides closer than ever, the coaches are not negating the possibility of extra-time, setting up what could be a nail-biting afternoon.
Is There A Favourite?
Birkirkara and Swieqi United will meet for the final time this calendar year in their biggest clash yet. The two earned their places in the final after Birkirkara lifted last year’s Assikura Women’s League title, and Swieqi United, the Assikura Women’s Knockout.
Despite the fixture pitting the same two teams against each other as last year’s final, which the Stripes won by 2-0, the two coaches are reluctant to call this one. Birkirkara’s Jose Borg said, “I think both sides are going into this with the belief that it could go either way. I don’t think that there is a favourite, when you consider that this year we drew a match and they won the first one. Last year they won the encounter in the Knockout, and we won twice before.”
Weighing everything together, Borg continued, “So, perhaps Swieqi have a little bit of an advantage considering their performances this season, and I think we both made changes since last year which will make this a different match. However, as Birkirkara, we will go into the match with a high morale and with the determination to bring the trophy home.”
In fact, Swieqi United’s Saviour Darmanin spoke about the difference made by the fact that his team lifted the Assikura Women’s Knockout at the end of last season, “It is the same two teams, but this time Swieqi United are in it because of lifting the Knockout trophy, which the team did by eliminating Birkirkara early on. I think this perhaps gives the team more merit to be in the final, whereas last year Birkirkara had won the double. Despite this, each match is different. The fact that this could go to extra-time and penalties certainly adds another layer to the preparation.”
Speaking on the encounters thus far, Swieqi United’s Saviour Darmanin was also reluctant on calling out a favourite, “The matches against Birkirkara have always been very tight. So far this year we managed to get four out of six points which is a positive thing. However, that is in the past. We must build on those positives, but also look forward to improve on others, so that we are as prepared as possible for this fixture.”
The Prospect of Extra-Time & Penalties On Selection
Considering the tight encounters between the two, the likelihood of extra-time is not something that is extremely remote. It presents coaches with a different conundrum to deal with in their selections and it is something that both are weighing carefully.
Looking at the final with the perspective of also the upcoming fixtures, Jose Borg is not too keen on extending the match. He said, “Ideally we avoid extra-time, simply because we’ve been dealt a tough hand of having a direct confrontation in the league on Saturday against Hibernians. However, we consider our commitments match by match. We will try to close the win within normal time but if the match goes to extra-time, I believe that the players who will be on the bench can make the difference.”
His counterpart Saviour Darmanin acknowledged the importance of squad depth, but also the importance of experience in such crucial matches. “The squad depth is something very relevant. Birkirkara have a lot of depth, but also perhaps crucially have plenty of experience in that depth, even with players who will be on the bench. From our end, we have experienced players as well, especially those who are usually in the starting eleven, who have won several titles. However, we also have an exciting number of young players who feature in the first eleven and also a few who make their impact from the bench.”
Although acknowledging the importance of experience in high-pressure matches, Darmanin finished by hinting at the importance of looking at the details of a match, “Perhaps Birkirkara have more experience in the total squad, which is certainly important in difficult moments. However, there are other things that could play an important role in deciding this match.”
The Twelfth Player
Birkirkara have set another positive step in local football organisation by combining the promotion of the men’s and women’s Super Cup. Jose Borg praised the work done by the club’s members to promote the match, “The committee and marketing team at Birkirkara have worked together to promote the game through a joint venture with the men’s team and we are seeing the fruits with more than 400 tickets sold.”
The Stripes hope that this match could set another feat in this regard, which continues to build on the work done earlier this campaign, “We will continue working and hope that we will have an attendance that surpasses that which we saw in the UEFA Women’s Champions League last September.”
The UEFA Women’s Champions League match featured just one side from Malta, whereas this will pit the Stripes against Swieqi United who will bring their own supporters. Saviour Darmanin acknowledged the work being done by Birkirkara, “They had both the women and the men competing in the respective Super Cup finals. There was a large number of Birkirkara supporters for the men’s final and I am certain that these supporters will also be behind their women’s team who perhaps have brought the club most success in the recent past, even internationally.”
Switching focus to his team, Darmanin continued, “Of course I encourage Swieqi United’s supporters to show up and get behind the team in this important match because they can be our twelfth player. However, of course as the coach, in the end I look at my players because ultimately the job is done on the pitch.”
The UEFA Women’s Nations League selections of Malta featured no less than fourteen players who hail from these two teams. In this regard, it gives those who were impressed by the quality on show in the national team’s displays to enjoy these footballer’s abilities beyond the international break.
Speaking about the growth of the women’s game in this regard, Jose Borg said, “We will continue to work toward getting more people into the stadiums for women’s matches, specifically for Birkirkara’s team but in the hope that it gives visibility to the women’s game as a whole.”
His counterpart Darmanin was of the same frame of mind, “Between us and Birkirkara, we have a number of players who have been making us proud as Maltese with the national team. Looking at my squad at Swieqi United, I also have a large number of players who are also rising in the ranks with the youth national team. I encourage those who attended the national team matches to attend this final which I believe will be a good watch and in doing so continue to grow the local women’s game as well.”
Those still looking to secure tickets may pre-purchase online. The match will be played at the Centenary Stadium (15:00).
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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