by San Gwann and Swieqi United meet at the Centenary Stadium before the international break, with Julian Camilleri backing his young squad’s development despite recent setbacks, while Dorianne Theuma demands continued intensity and focus after her side’s hard-earned draw against Mgarr. Kick-off is set for 20:15.
A Hard-Fought Draw & A Big Defeat
San Gwann will be welcoming Swieqi United as the two embark on their final match before the first international break of 2026.
Julian Camilleri rejected that his team conceded soft goals against Hibernians, in a match where they walked away with a 5 – 0 loss, “I don’t think they were as soft as some that we’ve conceded. I think Hibernians were direct and we knew that they are a side who gets close to the goal more than most.”
Questioned about the goalkeeping development, given some of the goals conceded in the match, he replied, “I think we haven’t seen enough consistency this year, because between injuries and the 135 minute rule, we couldn’t really assess the progress as we would if they were playing senior football regularly.”
The match also saw a few younger faces deployed instead of the more experienced ones. Among them were Amy Abela Spiteri, Martina Vassallo and Thaissa Cross also debuted for the team. Julian Camilleri credited their attitude in training, “They are three players who have shown a good attitude in training and considering the players we had missing I felt it made sense to involve them. I am please with their development, especially when you consider they are just graduating from U16 level.”
Meanwhile, Swieqi United battled Mgarr United in extremely windy conditions to come away with a 1 – 1 draw, the first in the league between the two this year.
Dorianne Theuma gave a balanced take on the performance, “It was a pity that a match of that level had to be played in those weather conditions. Having said that, the players showed strong character, especially in the second half when they knew it would be very difficult to protect our lead with the wind against us. In the first half, we could have been more clinical and perhaps managed the game better when we had momentum. Overall, though, the team handled the circumstances well and fought until the end to secure the point.”
Salamatu Abdulai continued to be a consistent figure up top for Swieqi United in the match. Into her fourth year at the club, Swieqi United’s coach praised the growth of the Ghanaian since joining, “Salamatu has contributed a lot to the club over the years and has been an important player for us. Despite still being young, she has gained valuable experience and has shown her quality not only in terms of goals but also in helping the team progress up the pitch and creating opportunities for others.”
As always, Theuma is motivating further development from her, “Like any player, she needs to keep challenging herself and pushing her limits to reach the next level. We believe she has the potential to grow even more, and we expect her to continue working hard to further develop her game and consistency.”
Match Expectations
The two teams have met each other in almost every venue available to the senior women’s league, barring Dingli Ground. Tonight’s match will pit them against each other in the expansive Centenary Stadium.
Julian Camilleri’s side has fallen to big defeats to the Owls, but the San Gwann coach was unwilling to divulge the team’s tactical approach in search of correcting past results. “A big pitch against a technically strong and physically fit team is not in our favour. However, we can avoid dangerous situations and must use spaces wisely in offensive moments.”
Dorianne Theuma underscored that past victories do not make tonight’s result a given, “I believe this game will be very tough. Even though we have won convincingly before, we know that our last performance against them was not our best. Playing at the Centenary changes certain dynamics, especially with space and tempo, and we must be prepared for their pace up front. We have to keep our intensity high at all times, stay organised, and make sure we are fully focused from the first minute to the last.”
The two teams take to the pitch at the Centenary Stadium at 20:15.
Lead Image: Brandon Bonett
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