Cheers and support from the stands at Mini Stadium Surakarta ignited the spirit of the finalists during the MilkLife Soccer Challenge – Solo 2025 on Sunday (May 18). The high-stakes finals concluded with a sweet victory for the Under-12 (U12) team from SD Djama’atul Ichwan Surakarta. In the Under-10 (U10) category, SD Al Azhar Syifa Budi Surakarta pulled off an epic comeback to clinch the championship after a year-long wait.

The U12 final match between SD Djama’atul Ichwan Surakarta and MIN Surakarta was a tight contest. MIN Surakarta took an early lead just one minute into the match with a goal by Avara Aulia Zahra. The early advantage sparked an exchange of attacks between the teams as they fought to create more opportunities. However, no further goals were scored, and the first half ended 0-1.

After halftime, SD Djama’atul Ichwan Surakarta rallied with relentless pressure on the opponent’s defense. Their efforts paid off when Maiza Alfareza Totalia scored the equalizer in the 22nd minute after a well-executed team play. Both sides continued exchanging crosses and attacking, but the 1-1 score held until the final whistle, forcing the match into a penalty shootout.

In the dramatic shootout, SD Djama’atul Ichwan Surakarta's penalty takers scored four points, while MIN Surakarta managed three. This victory was a hard-earned reward for the persistence of coach Anjas Andika Pratama’s squad in the girls’ youth football tournament.

"I'm so happy we won! This was our first time reaching the final, and alhamdulillah, we became champions. Our whole team kept encouraging each other during the match. Coach told us to play well and score many goals," said Kafiya, who idolizes women’s national team player Safira Ika.

In the U10 category, SD Al Azhar Syifa Budi Surakarta won the championship after defeating MIN 9 Sragen with an impressive 6-2 score. All six goals were skillfully scored by Syarafana Maritza Anggara, thanks to solid teamwork in creating goal opportunities.

Although coach Hakim Hanafi's team failed to capitalize on a penalty chance in the first half, they bounced back. In the 12th minute, Syarafana scored a direct free kick that put SD Al Azhar Syifa Budi Surakarta ahead 1-0. However, MIN 9 Sragen quickly responded with two goals by forward Salsabilla Mustika Prasetyo.

After the restart, SD Al Azhar Syifa Budi Surakarta did not lose their fighting spirit. They launched a more aggressive attack, resulting in four additional goals that secured the U10 MilkLife Soccer Challenge – Solo 2025 title.

"I didn’t expect to win today because the opponents were tough. But we all did our best to #DareToScore, and after placing only in a draw last year, now we’re champions. I’m so proud to finally bring home the trophy," said Syarafana, who also won the Top Scorer title with 30 goals.

Stronger Ecosystem for Girls' Football

The enthusiasm of Solo’s girls for football continues to grow. This is evident from the increasing number of participants in every edition of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge. Looking back to last year’s MilkLife Soccer Challenge Solo Series 1 in 2024, there were 389 student participants. That number doubled in Series 2 held in October 2024, reaching 830 participants. This year, a total of 1,016 students from 58 elementary schools and Islamic elementary schools (MI) joined the girls’ football tournament initiated by Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation and MilkLife.

Yoppy Rosimin, Program Director of Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation, said the increase in quantity was matched by improvements in quality shown by the young female footballers on the field. This growth can be attributed to the competitive environment fostered by tiered girls’ football competitions from U10 to U16.

In addition to consistent platforms for players to showcase their talent, two MilkLife Soccer Challenge alumni from Solo recently competed at the JSSL Singapore 7’s 2025 in April, inspiring more young girls to pursue football. They are Ika Wonda from SD Kristen Manahan Surakarta and Adinda Resti Widayani from SDN Tempel Surakarta. Both helped the MilkLife Shakers (U-12) team finish as runners-up in the prestigious event.

“The increase in participants from one series to the next shows that more and more girls are eager to play football. We are committed to nurturing the growth of girls’ football from an early age and supporting participation in both national and international tournaments. With structured competitions and career pathways, we hope this will further motivate them to keep improving their skills,” said Yoppy.

Surakarta Deputy Mayor Astrid Widayani voiced her support for the girls’ football tournament initiated by Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation and MilkLife. She hopes that tournaments targeting young students can encourage them to pursue excellence in sports, particularly football.

“This is a positive initiative because football is a game that fosters skills such as teamwork, independence, discipline, and character-building. With girls’ football tournaments like this, I believe it will strengthen their physical abilities and personal development. There are so many incredible young female football talents from Solo,” said Astrid.

Echoing this sentiment, MilkLife Soccer Challenge Assistant Head Coach Asep Sunarya noted that Solo’s pool of female football talent continues to grow. The MilkLife Soccer Challenge’s Talent Scouting team has already identified dozens of promising players to be groomed for the future.

Throughout the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Solo 2025 tournament, Coach Asep observed tighter competition among the players, showcasing improved individual and team skills. “We’ve seen significant progress. Many girls now train at football schools (SSBs), which makes the tournament more competitive. We’ve identified around 60 names for extra training. This is encouraging and will lead to even tougher competition in the next series,” said Asep.

Winners of MilkLife Soccer Challenge – Solo 2025

Under-10 Category

Champion: SD Al Azhar Syifa Budi Surakarta

Runner-up: MIN 9 Sragen

Semifinalists: SD Marsudirini and SDN 02 Malangjiwan

Top Scorer: Syarafana Maritza Anggara – SD Al Azhar Syifa Budi (30 goals)

Best Player: Syarafana Maritza Anggara – SD Al Azhar Syifa Budi

Best Goalkeeper: Naella Safira Aggreini – MIN 9 Sragen

Fair Play Team: SD Marsudirini

Under-12 Category

Champion: SD Djama’atul Ichwan Surakarta

Runner-up: MIN Surakarta

Semifinalists: SDN Tempel Surakarta and SDN 1 Karanganyar

Top Scorer: Najwa Ayu Ramadhani – SD Muhammadiyah 23 Semanggi (22 goals)

Best Player: Kafiya Ratu Assidqi – SD Djama’atul Ichwan

Best Goalkeeper: Jingga Zenandung Rimba – MIN Surakarta

Fair Play Team: MIN 9 Sragen

Visit www.milklifesoccer.com to see match schedules, results, standings, and top scorers of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge – Solo 2025. Follow MilkLife Soccer Challenge on Instagram (@milklifesoccer), TikTok (@milklifesoccer), and YouTube (@milklifesoccer) for exciting updates about the development of girls’ football.

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