Mġarr United completed a remarkable domestic treble after retaining the Assikura Women’s Knock-Out with a hard-fought victory over Birkirkara in a tightly contested final.
The Greens capped an outstanding season, having already secured both the league title and the Jubilee Cup, underlining their dominance across all major domestic competitions.
photo courtesy of Malta FA
An early breakthrough ultimately proved decisive, as Yulya Carella found the net inside the opening 10 minutes to hand Mġarr their second consecutive knockout crown.
Head coach Ryan Vella largely stuck to his trusted system, although he was dealt a setback with the absence of top scorer Valeria Villegas, who played a key role in their league-winning campaign. In her absence, Mġarr relied on the experience and quality of their foreign contingent, with Alejandra Villegas, Yanina Méndez, Maria Hernandez and Josline N’Guessan all named in the starting line-up.
Birkirkara, meanwhile, were also without their influential captain Stephania Farrugia due to injury. Despite this, coach Charlene Zammit fielded a competitive side, spearheaded by leading scorer Momo Ueda.
Mġarr started on the front foot and took the lead after just 10 minutes. Maria Hernandez delivered an inviting ball into the penalty area, where Yulya Carella rose well to head past goalkeeper Maleni Morales.
Buoyed by the early goal, the Greens continued to threaten and came close to doubling their advantage shortly after, but Morales produced an important save to deny Alejandra Villegas.
Birkirkara responded with a long-range effort from Amelia Vassallo, though it was comfortably gathered by Mġarr goalkeeper Giulia D’Antuono.
Mġarr remained the more dangerous side as the first half progressed, with N’Guessan firing wide and Hernandez sending an effort over the bar as they searched for a second goal before the break.
The second half saw a dip in tempo, with fatigue setting in and clear-cut chances becoming increasingly scarce. Birkirkara pushed forward in search of an equaliser and applied pressure on the Mġarr defence but struggled to create meaningful opportunities in the final third.
Mġarr, however, came closest to scoring again when Josline N’Guessan struck the crossbar with a powerful effort. At the other end, Momo Ueda attempted to spark a comeback from a free-kick, but her effort sailed over the bar.
In the end, Mġarr managed the game effectively and held on to their slender lead, sealing a memorable victory and completing a historic treble in impressive fashion.
At the final whistle, Yulya Carella was deservedly named Best Player of the Match, capping an impressive performance in which her early goal proved to be the difference.
Following the match, the presentation ceremony took place in a celebratory atmosphere. Lucienne Cini, Chief Operating Officer of Assikura Insurance Brokers PCC Limited, together with Women’s National Team Head Coach Manuela Tesse, presented medals to the victorious Mġarr United squad, the runners-up Birkirkara, and the match officials in recognition of their efforts.
The ceremony concluded with the highlight moment as Mġarr United captain Abigail Camilleri proudly lifted the trophy, marking a fitting end to a historic and highly successful season for the Greens.
MĠARR UNITED: G. D’Antuono; A. Camilleri, A. Villegas, M. Debono, V. Mifsud, Y. Carella, L. Cefai, Y. Mendez, M. Hernandez, J. N’Guessan. B. Borg.
Coach: Ryan Vella.
BIRKIRKARA: M. Morales; G. Zahra, L. May Azzopardi, K. Monteiro, Y. Grech, A. Vassallo, G. Cassar (M. Gauci 64’), S. Francalanza, K. Axiak, H. Sekura, M. Ueda.
Coach: Charlene Zammit
Referee: Sara Kankaras.