by As the summer starts to set in, it is time to take a few last looks at a historic 2024/25 season in the Maltese women’s game. For any who have wondered, these are The Sporting Fan’s best and worst of the 2024/25 season in all the depth that a one-hundred match season demands to be able to judge individuals and teams.
One Hundred Matches
The 2024/25 domestic season in Malta wrapped up just over a month ago with two clubs etching their names in the history books. Swieqi United won their first Super Cup and Assikura Women’s League titles, before Mgarr United closed their year with a maiden trophy, clinching the Assikura Women’s Knockout.
However, there is a lot that goes into a season. In one hundred matches there have been fantastic moments and sombre ones, as weeks became months, with players, coaches and administrators in full force, grappling with the ongoings of everything that was thrown in their way.
Having watched every single match, I’ve often been asked who I believe merits recognition. It is a mere opinion of an individual, and make no mistake, there are no awards here. However, for those who have asked for it – these are The Sporting Fan’s best and worst of the 2024/25 season.
If you’re used to reading articles on this website you know enough to brace yourself for a lengthy review. If you’re new, in this author’s opinion, an approximate 150 hours of football requires a lot of words to justify the explanation of choosing one individual or team, over another – in the good and the bad.
Best Goal
The season began with a stupendous header by Natalee Geren, continued by more than a few thunder-strikes by Assikura Women’s League top-scorer Hailey Russell, Yulya Carella and Luana Cabral. Shakira Bugeja was often most precise from a dead-ball situation, but Yanina Mendez fired home more than one Olimpico. Valeria Villegas Caly drove daggers into defences with blistering counter-attacking pace, while Jade Flask made her mark with a breathtaking volley against Hibernians. All gave plenty of entertainment for those in the stands.
However, across the one hundred matches, the biggest smile was certainly in a team goal that embodied everything that one hopes to see in a football match. From goalkeeper to attack, involving several players to soak up pressure in defence and exploit the pace, with precise contributions from every individual – this author’s goal of the season is Swieqi United’s second goal against Birkirkara in the Super Cup final.
A special moment in the story of this season, in a year where just two matches were broadcast live for spectators to enjoy, perhaps the biggest triumph is that the goal was captured and broadcast live for all audiences willing to give the domestic game in Malta a chance.
Best Young Player
At sixteen years old Amber Galea grew into a steady name on the sheet for Hibernians at the back, after having had first glimpses toward the latter portion of the previous season. The biggest positive for the youngster is that the defender continued to push forward in performances, learning from mistakes and unafraid to challenge even the most staunch attackers and come away with the ball.
Often settled alongside Natalee Geren and Jessica Dimech, the defender continued in an upward trajectory in growth this season and at sixteen years of age, that is the most important expectation from this author. This especially as she split duties between the U19 and senior league, also captaining the youth team as they rose to a second place finish. Having played close to half the minutes in the season at senior level, while playing the entirety of the Assikura Women’s Knockout, certainly bodes well to the qualities that the youngster brought to the pitch every week.
Finishing runner up in both senior & U19 Knockout competitions and walking away empty handed from the title races in each category, can be crushing for a sixteen year old. However, from where this author stands, Galea’s future could hold many trophies should the youngster continue to trust the work in the training ground.
Best Introduction
Birkirkara’s Vince Galea was one of the biggest champions for youth players to break into senior football this year. One player who stood out was Lara May Azzopardi. Amassing close to half the minutes in the entire season on the pitch, in a debut season, and playing with the pressure of the shirt of the defending champions is no easy feat for a seventeen year old.
However, the youngster showed up even against seasoned opposition. Adventurous on the wings, while soaking instructions from veterans on the pitch and Galea from the bench, Azzopardi is a player that was certainly a bright introduction this season and one hopes that this is only the start for what could be a very important player in years to come.
Missed Opportunity
There’s always plenty of interest as the transfer windows beckon. Having watched the pre-season unfold, one player I was certainly excited about was Yuna Hazekawa. An intelligent player in utilising the spaces, this was one midfielder whose class was discussed in the early stages of the season. However, it is this author’s opinion that the Maltese football community never truly saw just how great this player is, even at the height of the UEFA Women’s Champions League exploits with Birkirkara.
The Japanese player’s quality was scouted well with the player moving on to FC Rosengard in Sweden. On one hand it continues to prove that the Maltese league is becoming an increasingly attractive stepping stone, which is a statement that should not be taken lightly and mulled over from every facet. On the other hand, some may say that the Swedish giant was an attractive bet, but perhaps the more crucial aspect to ponder is why such a player would have wanted to move on so quickly. Playing football is one aspect of a footballer’s dream, the way in which they live their life while doing so is another.
While feeling great about having witnessed her class, and to see Hazekawa grace the Swedish league, it is a bittersweet feeling in never truly have seen the best of what this player could have brought to the Maltese league.
Most Improved Team
Certainly a strong transfer window is one way for a team to make drastic improvements, but for someone watching the entirety of the makings of a season, perhaps the most interesting aspect to observe throughout a season is the way in which teams improve, decline or stagnate in their approaches.
Swieqi United started the year in trouble. The team looked disjointed at the end of last season, with a huge job for a new set of coaches to piece together a side that could at least maintain its status as Birkirkara’s biggest rival in recent years. Pre-season suggested that there were good quality building blocks, in staff and players. However, it was evident that there was a lot of work to be done to match their opposition, also considering the transfer windows that the top sides around them had. The first few matches were just the confirmation.
However, a team that looked off the pace in the early stages improved its fitness, a formation that did not suit the best qualities of the squad was changed into one that did and most importantly, the side grew on an individual and on a team level in maximising its strengths and breaking new ground. Players that were seasoned showed a new level, players that are young made leaps in their ability to handle the game, in its physical, technical, tactical and mental form.
Winning two out of three trophies shows that there is still a way to go. However, more than trophies, the growth that this team showed was truly one of the greatest arcs of the season. That development is credit to Dorianne Theuma as head coach, and the team around her in Mandy Debono, Keith Gouder, Luke Borg, Yandrick Cassar, Tamara Farrugia Drakard, Arianne Bonello and Greta Grima, together with the hierarchy in Swieqi United. This in every aspect, from keeping players healthy, developing and supported in their endeavour throughout the campaign. However, it also took players ready to embrace those philosophies and to put in the hard work.
San Gwann get honorary recognition as a side that made its biggest improvements in the summer and came into the season well drilled to take things to the next level. Smart transfers accompanied the growth of the team into a well oiled machine that was physically and tactically much more prepared to take on top teams. They took to the pitch at the beginning of the season with a target to improve on last year’s leap in points and did so to good effect.
It is fair to say that Julian Camilleri continued to prove his worth in making San Gwann unrecognisable from the team that played three seasons ago in the best possible manner. His confirmation at the helm for next year suggests that those leading San Gwann understand just what he’s bringing to the side and excitement brews into whether San Gwann could be the first team to truly send the Assikura Women’s League into a battle in it’s first phase to set the top four.
That brings up the next category.
Most Disappointing
The hopes for a battle for fourth were high in Valletta at the end of the 2023/24 season from this author, following a triumphant campaign in the Bottom Four and a Knockout semi-final that had Birkirkara scrambling. However, while San Gwann took a step forward, Valletta were sadly a true disappointment and those are not words lightly written. Even more so, considering that this was a side that fulfilled a target of getting a point against top four opposition, against Mgarr United early in the year, but never truly garnered the momentum from it.
As discussed for the most improved, a similar analysis underlies a disappointing campaign for Valletta. Denis Guerra’s departure appears to have left a void in the growth of players, who appeared stagnant up to the point in which there was a steady decline. It was a squad that appeared devoid of motivation and certainly lost its identity in the past months.
Departures of key players mattered, but the buck stops with the club and its committee in lacking to make the steps to understand the root cause of problems and retain its talents early enough. It is all too easy to blame the top sides for swooping in for talents, but a player cannot be blamed for wanting to train at the highest possible level and have the chance for triumphs at the end of the season. As things dwindled, nothing from an outsider’s perspective suggested an inclination to change things or even a worry big enough to cause a stir in the club in the season.
Decisions that suggested a complete disjoint of teams did nothing to improve the outsider’s perspective. This as the senior team went toward a Knockout quarter-final with the makings of a three-piece bench, while the U16 and U19 sides jet off to Sicily for a foreign tournament. The icing on the cake is the way in which the women’s team appeared to be a completely foreign arm to the rest of the club. While the public view may be of a Valletta support and club that is proud of its teams, to this author it appears very much that the women’s team operated as an alien to the men’s teams this year.
While an outcry was made as the men’s side dropped into the Challenge League and no stone was left unturned to get the side back into the Malta Premier League (and rightly so), sadly such enthusiasm never materialised for a women’s side that had the makings to stir things at the top of the table, but was allowed to deteriorate throughout the season. It paints a sad picture and so it should, for anyone that wants to see football thrive surely would like to see its teams succeed on every level.
To be clear Valletta is not the only club that gives this impression and that is the sad reality of where things stand, but having acquired one of the most interesting squads developed from youth level two years ago, one hoped that a club of its stature could be one of those that lead by example in raising the level, rather than squandering it.
As a neutral in Malta, surely having Valletta become a strong club in every sense, one that shows its grandeur on every stage of football, would be a positive thing to witness. It has been a disappointing season, but there seems to be cracks of sunlight appearing with the latest announcements from the women’s sector with a reformed coaching line-up and committee.
Until the next season unfolds, a special word goes to four players who, despite everything, appeared to this author to be true professionals in giving their all in matches no matter what this season – captain Anna Aloisio, Sabrin Blihi, Eunice Micallef and the mid-way returning from injury, Gaia Antonelli. When watching from the stands, they appeared to be the last remaining warriors week-in-week-out, who deserve their own recognition and certainly gave everything within an otherwise worrying side. There were others who grafted, but this author believes that there could have been better decisions made on the pitch by individuals to help the team. One hopes that there is motivation to be better.
The Best XI
It is this author’s opinion that a player must have at least played half the minutes of a season to be considered for eligibility. The players chosen make a 1-3-5-2 formation.
Best Goalkeeper – Patricia Araujo (Swieqi United): Araujo’s introduction to the Maltese league was an exciting one, in a goalkeeper who looked not only capable of pulling a save but one who could be an interesting prospect for a team who looked to build from the back. All these characteristics truly shone this year, with the shot-stopper offering a calm figure at the back for Swieqi United, but most importantly a true eleventh player in building attacks from the back with short and long precise distribution. Araujo was truly a joy to watch in the field. A professional character and work ethic to match the footballing skill makes this one a no brainer.
Defence: A centre-back is chosen based on winning one-on-one battles, the ability to read play, having composure in creating from the back, while also being a threat on the attack when opportunity arises.
Rafanny Mendoza Abache (Swieqi United) – The Venezuelan was a fortress at the back, but also came up with a few important goals for the Owls as they made their way from a tough start into a championship team. Towering height helped both in defence and in attack, while the defender was also a key leader from the back in pushing the team forward with courage. Having ice in her veins for crucial penalties that earned the team important victories, not least a late one against Hibernians in the tail end of the season, capped off a crucial year for the Venezuelan whose consistency and determination were certainly important instruments for Swieqi’s success.
Charlene Zammit (Birkirkara) – Having lost key players in the summer, matched by a change in coach and topped by long-term injuries for experienced players in Janice Xuereb and Stephania Farrugia, Zammit’s role in Birkirkara was a huge one this year.
Looking through notes from games past, her footprint in matches can be seen in leading vocally, while also in work ethic. It says a lot when in matches in final few minutes, there were times when the thirty-four year old defender was still involved in all – winning the ball back, leading an inexperienced defence and majority of team, starting attacks and pushing forward to combine in them, attempting free-kicks or trying to head-them home. It may be a disappointing season on trophy level, but there certainly is a lot to be proud of for Zammit this year and certainly a veteran that continues to be a leading role model for future generations.
Tammy Falzon (Swieqi United) – It is this author’s opinion that Falzon’s exploits this year did not earn enough recognition. At nineteen years old, Falzon continued to step up in her growth besides Rafanny Mendoza Abache, with the duo becoming part of rock-solid defence that earned the best record in the Assikura Women’s League. The shackles appeared to be off for Falzon this year, with a few meaty but crucial last ditch tackles, while also becoming bolder in building play with time. What’s more the youngster was continuously involved in also the Youth competitions, also captaining the side and taking the haul at U19 level, showing dedication that is to be reckoned.
With every trophy that the senior team amassed, the defender continued to raise her game in consistency. By the final match of the U19 season, many may have expected her foot to be off the gas, but instead it appears that Falzon continued taking things up a notch, with further confidence in taking the ball out from the defence and chipping in with goals in attack. There isn’t much else to say except it’s been a joy to watch the growth and certainly this is one young defender not to be messed with.
Wing-Backs/Full-Backs – While slightly different from a full-back position, this author believes that there is still plenty of growth in utilising wing-back or full-back positions in the domestic women’s game in Malta. The eleven chosen in the list make most sense to form in a 1-3-5-2 formation, but in my opinion the utilisation of a full-back and wing-back in the domestic league is yet to be effective in the nuances that each position truly demands.
However, while coaches continue to push players into new territories in these positions, the first crucial element is the stamina to paint the flanks with runs. The below are two who this author believes showed stamina and grit in pushing their sides both in defence and in attack consistently throughout the season.
Best Left-Back – Yanina Mendez (Mgarr United) – It was the Argentinian’s first season in Malta and she grew into an important piece of the puzzle for the Greens. Passionate in play and a willing runner, her contributions were crucial as the team pushed for titles amid a season plagued by injuries. Although hot-headedness got her into some trouble with officials at times, the negatives outweigh the positives for the Argentinian. One of the more trustworthy with set-pieces in the league, while also deadly with a couple of Olimpicos, this is certainly a player that shone this year in giving energy up and down the flank meriting recognition.
Best Right-Back – Rebecca Bajada (Mgarr United) – Like Mendez, Bajada was a force for the Greens in going up and down the pitch. Unafraid to get into a tackle while never giving up a ball, the Gozitan was crucial for the side, also chipping in with a couple of stunners against the Stripes. Given the license to venture forward by Ryan Vella, Bajada took a different step this season in becoming more adventurous to support attacks with a few deliveries also hitting the mark for the Greens to convert.
Midfield: The engine or heart of the team is one that requires plenty of hard work and sacrifice. Some offer creativity, others are more defensive minded. Picking this category can be truly difficult due to the variety of roles, however the first base is consistency.
Shona Zammit (Swieqi United) – there perhaps isn’t much left to say about Shona Zammit’s season. Having taken the haul as Best Player in the MFPA, MFCA & MFA awards, there’s nothing new in saying that she truly shone. Racking up almost every minute of the season on the pitch, the midfielder displayed an outstanding work ethic, matched by class in helping the team defend, create and score goals. Also shouldering the captain’s responsibility for a first full season, the midfielder grew into a vocal leader, showing a stark contrast to the times she captained the side the previous year, which only bodes for even greater things.
Nicole Sciberras (Hibernians) – Once again, this is a midfielder whose work ethic kept the Paolites’ engine going through tough patches this season. Disciplined in supporting the defence, while also taking a more adventurous role in pushing forward this year, Sciberras showed up every week. It is a quality that is certainly desired by every coach in the charge for titles. Increasingly trusted with the captain’s armband as Martina Borg’s minutes dwindled toward the latter portion of the year, the midfielder’s responsibility grew in matches with the twenty-four year old a key leader on the pitch for the Paolites.
Michaela Cachia (Swieqi United) – The trio is completed by nineteen year old Michaela Cachia, who this author also believes is one who has at times been overlooked in the Owls trajectory to lift their titles this year. A young midfielder, who showed composure to soak up pressure in the defensive midfield role and play the key pass to exploit the space. Playing a position that can be easily overlooked in the base of a diamond, she showed up every week and in fifty-fifty matches her contributions to stop attacks in their tracks certainly have been crucial in Swieqi United’s journey to the top of the table.
As listed above, Cachia’s contribution was not only in defending, but also in having the composure to receive the ball in treacherous positions as the Owls sought to play from the back. This author’s goal of the season is perhaps the perfect example in its importance. It is easy, but a mistake, to underestimate the ability of a player to choose the correct simple pass in those moments. Also a key member of the Youth squad for the Owls, it was certainly a demanding season for the youngster and while there is space to develop at just nineteen years old, this is a season which established Cachia as one of the leading midfielders in the Assikura Women’s League.
Attackers: It is often thought that a striker’s job is to score goals and it is certainly the most important. However, their role is often more far-reaching. In matches where teams face increasing pressure, a striker’s ability simply to lead a charge or hold the ball long enough for the team to recover space in the pitch can be just as crucial. It is this author’s opinion that it has not been the best of season for attackers, but there are two individuals who stood out.
Hailey Russell (San Gwann) – She topped the Assikura Women’s League scorers list but having played half the season in the Bottom Four, Russell doesn’t get the pick for merely scoring the most goals. Granted, she scored some precise goals from distance which became a signature for the American. Certainly goals were crucial to earn San Gwann points, but in terms of scoring, she earns the position in the Best XI because of her role in helping San Gwann score goals against the likes of Mgarr United and Swieqi United.
Most importantly, Russell’s contribution to San Gwann was not only in scoring, but in providing a threat on the counter and an ability to also assist goals for the team. The biggest recognition is perhaps for showing the best possible response to having been given limited time with Birkirkara last year, coming back with a season that showed the quality in its arena, the football pitch.
Valeria Villegas Caly (Mgarr United) – The Colombian took some time to find her feet in front of goal, but when she did Mgarr United’s genius in securing her signature became truly apparent. Capable of driving at defenders at blistering pace, the striker grew into a lethal threat for the Greens as they switched to counter-attacking football that was breathtaking in its precision.
It is worth noting the combination with sibling Alejandra Villegas Caly was often crucial, with the latter difficult to place in the Best XI due to the changing positions throughout the year, but certainly another of the standout signings of the year. Though a hot-headed nature landed her in trouble at times, Valeria Villegas Caly’s passion in front of goal was certainly a joy to watch especially as confidence converted into crucial goals and a maiden trophy with the Greens.
The Coaches
The last but not least goes to an assessment of the coaches. Preparing and leading training sessions, after handling their own full-time jobs, along with keeping up with their personal lives is certainly a challenge made tougher by the consistent demand to respond to queries every week prior to matches from this author. The simple truth is that, in this author’s view, coaches in the senior women’s teams probably deserve an accolade just for the patience they showed week in week out to respond to lengthy queries, even when things went very south and questions were certainly not easy to answer.
However, if one had to pick individuals, there are four categories in the coaches bracket.
Best Tactician – Ryan Vella (Mgarr United) – A new face in the women’s game and certainly someone who has made a stand in the best possible way. He had the support of the club in the transfer window but needed to dig deep to get the team gelling together and to find ways to get points even when long-injuries massacred the depth in his squad.
Ryan Vella completely dispelled the notion that a women’s team is not able to transition between systems along the weeks to the best possible effect. Granted he had accomplished players, with very limited young players in his ranks, which perhaps lended itself better, but there is no doubt that Vella’s impact was huge on Mgarr United to claim the first title. Even more so, he lifted the women’s game with the chameleon approach in systems that forced his opposition to find different ways to manoeuvre around them.
Best Youth Advocate – Vince Galea (Birkirkara) – In some form or other several teams utilised young players, the fulcrum is in the manner they did, whether it was by choice or by force and in which moments they fielded these players. The pressures on Vince Galea were big as he took on the role as Birkirkara’s coach. However, he was determined to take it on without compromising on giving opportunity to young players in the Birkirkara ranks and this was something that was evident even in pre-season. This was a coach who was unafraid to thrust sixteen to eighteen year olds in the pitch as pressures rose and do his best to talk them through tough moments in matches.
While the Stripes walk away without trophies, they ultimately fell only on the penultimate matchday. Most importantly, they walk away from the season with a positive that there was some rejuvenation of the team with quality in its ranks and from where this author stands, that is credit to Vince Galea.
Best Women’s Game Ambassador – Kenneth Costantino (Hibernians) – Kenneth Costantino brought experience, his coaching credentials were undoubted as the only coach to have steered a team to a title in the league. In the season and a half that he was in charge of Hibernians, this was a coach who often spoke about building a philosophy in his team, on and off the pitch. It was not the fairytale end for a season that started so brightly and questions will always be there into what caused Hibernians to dwindle in crucial moments in the season. However, there is no doubt that as a coach Kenneth Costantino was unafraid to challenge the poor structures that the women’s game continues to be confined to in pitches, fixtures, officiation and overall organisation.
This was a coach who has seen the growth of the game over the years and perhaps has already seen the missed opportunities that Malta is already paying for. His departure will leave a void and certainly there must be more that are bold enough to take such standing if the women’s game is to get into the pace it must do to avoid getting left behind altogether by a world that is making huge leaps.
Best Coach – Dorianne Theuma (Swieqi United) – In this author’s view, the best overall coach would be the one that is able to manage all previous three facets, develop the team throughout the year, while successfully steering the team toward reaching objectives. As mentioned above, Swieqi United became stronger every month until ultimately clinching the Super Cup and League titles.
Dorianne Theuma took to the season with a chip on her shoulder, because there is no guarantee that one is able to carry the triumphs experienced as a player into senior team coaching, most especially within a dressing room that she formed part of as a player, that faced repeated troubles in seasons past and that most certainly appeared broken from an outsider’s perspective as last season drew to a close.
Stressful and uncertain moments were surely endured by the young coach at the start in the face of defeats and a team off the pace, with the conviction that the work on the training ground would pay off with time. Most crucially, there were no excuses given in responses when things were tough and trophies were lifted with what appeared to be a relieved smile. She appears to have left the mark on a team far beyond just earning trophies, as conveyed by the interviews given to the media and this only in one season in charge. Furthermore, this was a coach that continued to advocate for the growth of the women’s game and challenge its boundaries.
While I am well aware that there are no coaches from the bottom four listed here, their effort is noted and as listed earlied, Julian Camilleri’s impact on San Gwann has been a continuous positive. All in all, this season has been a far more positive one in terms of the coaches’ involvement (bar some individual episodes) than last year.
The 2024/25 season was a joy in seeing the majority of coaches in the women’s game truly throw themselves in pushing their teams forward and even more it was great to see the respect these coaches showed to each other, even in their comments. Maltese football is all the better for having such great individuals within it who truly deserve more recognition from the top associations in sport.
Lead Images: Elise Bajada / GM Graphics
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