Women’s football will come under the spotlight on Tuesday evening when Hibernians FC take on Inter Women in a friendly match at the Tony Bezzina Stadium, kick-off at 19:00.
Inter Women, who compete in the Serie A Women, Italy’s top female football championship, are currently in Malta for a training camp which is being co-ordinated by Qmedia Limited.
Under the helm of coach Gianpiero Piovani, Inter landed in Malta on Saturday evening ahead of their first training sessions at the Tony Bezzina Stadium on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Bonett
Their visit is generating significant interest not only among the numerous Inter fans in Malta but also local football followers who are becoming increasingly proud of the achievements of Haley Bugeja, currently playing for Inter Women. Regarded as one of most exciting young female football players in Europe, Bugeja heads into the New Year on a high after marking her return from injury with match-winning performances for her team.
After hitting a remarkable hat-trick in the 5-1 league victory over derby rivals Milan, Bugeja maintained her scoring form in December with a goal to help Inter reach the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia following a 2-1 win over Como 1907.
While Bugeja features regularly in Malta when representing the women’s national team, this is the first time she is visiting her home country with her club side since sealing her move to Inter in 2023, and the first time she will don the Serie A club’s famous shirt in a Maltese stadium.
On Tuesday, Bugeja will be facing some familiar faces as a host of Hibernians Women players are also part of the national team set-up. Hibernians are led by Martina Borg, a former Malta player who also played alongside Bugeja at international level.
While there is no doubting the prestige of Tuesday’s friendly, the Hibernians coach believes that the experience will benefit her players as they strive to raise their standards.
“We are very excited and looking forward to this friendly match,” Borg said.
“We know we will be facing very tough opposition in Inter Women, a team that has been performing very well in the Serie A this season.
“Nonetheless, we see this match as a valuable opportunity to expose our players to a high level of competition and to recharge as we prepare for the rest of the domestic season.”
Hibernians are currently second in the 2025-26 Assikura Women’s League, eight points behind Mgarr United.
For their part, Inter Women are looking to maximise their stay in Malta in preparation for the second half of the season, starting with their upcoming league match against Juventus. With nine matches played, Inter are fourth in the Serie A Women table, level with Lazio and Como 1907 on 15 points.
“The training camp in Malta is a great opportunity to consolidate the work done on the training ground, refine physical conditioning, and maintain a high tempo ahead of the season’s restart,” the club said on their website.
The first official fixture after the break will see the Nerazzurre host Juventus at home, on matchday 10 of the Serie A Women Championship, scheduled for the weekend of 17-18 January.
Tuesday’s friendly between Hibernians FC Women and Inter Women is supported by VisitMalta. Entrance is free.