Mġarr United have written a historic chapter in Maltese women’s football after securing their first-ever Assikura Women’s League title in the 2025/2026 season.
The Greens clinched the championship as early as February, with three matches still to play, underlining their dominance throughout the campaign.
A commanding 5-0 victory over Valletta mathematically confirmed the title and ensured a second piece of silverware this season.
Mġarr’s rise has been long and progressive. The club made its debut in the 2006/2007 season, suffering a 6-2 defeat to St. Venera Lightnings, with Abigail Camilleri scoring the club’s first-ever goal, a player who remarkably remains a key figure in the squad today.
In fact, she is part of a strong defensive department that has made Mġarr formidable in their defensive phase, shipping in just five goals across 17 league matches.
Since their inception, Mġarr have grown into one of the strongest sides in the local game.
In total, they have played 392 matches, registering 230 victories and scoring an impressive 1,090 goals. Their first-ever win came in April 2007, a 3-1 victory over Rabat Ajax.
Despite consistently competing at a high level, major honours had long eluded them – until last season.
The breakthrough arrived in the 2024/2025 season, when Mġarr lifted their first trophy by defeating Hibernians in the domestic cup final, marking their maiden silverware in women’s football.
That success came under the guidance of coach Ryan Vella in his debut season after taking charge in May 2024.
“Personally, and also for the club, this title is something very special. Being able to write history for our club is a great honour. I am extremely proud that we achieved this with players who have been dreaming for years of experiencing a day like last Saturday,” coach Vella told the Times of Malta.
“I feel the foundations were already there. Last season, we started a two-year project, bringing in players whom we believed would give the team an extra push, and we also made some adjustments to the training setup and the coaching staff,” he said.
“This season, in fact, we kept the same squad and continued building on what we achieved last year – especially after winning the knockout. I believe that continuity was the key element in taking us where we have reached, because we remained consistent from last season into this one.”
Unlike many rivals, Mġarr opted for stability rather than major squad changes, and this continuity proved decisive throughout the campaign.
A well-balanced attacking unit has driven Mġarr’s success. French forward Josline N’Guessan, one of the few summer additions, has contributed 10 goals. Meanwhile, Valeria Villegas – a standout performer from last season – leads the club’s scoring charts with 13 goals.
Malta international Yulya Carella and Argentine forward Maria Luz Hernandez have added seven goals each, bringing the attacking unit’s combined tally to 37 – more than half of the team’s 60 league goals.
“I think that was the most important element of this season. While other teams had to start from scratch, we continued building with the same squad, which made our work easier,” Vella explained.
“We kept developing the same principles in training and in matches from last season, and the players already knew what we expected from them. This led to greater consistency in performances as well as in results.”
From the outset, belief within the squad was evident according to coach Vella: “Yes, from day one I felt there were players of a very high level, and I was convinced that with a proper plan and a few new additions, this team could start competing to win certain competitions.”
Earlier in the season, Mġarr also lifted the Jubilee Cup with a dramatic victory over Hibernians at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium, a moment that proved pivotal in maintaining momentum heading into the latter stages of the campaign.
“Yes, there were matches which in previous years we might have lost – but this season, thanks to the players’ mentality, we managed to win them, especially in the direct clashes against Hibernians and Swieqi,” the Mġarr coach pointed out.
“Obviously, the Jubilee Cup final was also a match that gave us a huge boost for the second half of the season, where the team managed to turn a defeat into a victory in the final minutes – and that brought a historic honour to our club.”
Despite already securing the league title, the Greens remain focused on finishing the season strongly.
“After a very positive league campaign, we want to close the season in the best possible way, both in the league and by trying to perform well again in the Knockout competition,” he underlined.
“As always, we will prepare the squad in the best possible way for the upcoming matches, and then we will see where that takes us at the end of the season.”
