Success Rolls Thru 10 Cities, Series 2 and All-Stars Ready to be Held

Jakarta will be the final city for the 10 cities hosting the MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) Series 1 2025 – 2026. As the final city, Jakarta had the most participants out of the other 9 cities, totaling 2,708. SDN Cipinang Muara 19 Pagi emerged victorious in the U10 category after defeating SDN Cipayung 02 in a penalty shootout with a score of 0 (3) - 0 (2). Meanwhile, SDN Kunciran 4 successfully claimed the U12 championship title after a hard-fought match against Sekolah Anak Indonesia that ended in a 3 (3) - 3 (2) draw and was again decided by a penalty shootout.

Program Director of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge, Teddy Tjahjono, stated that throughout the MLSC Series 1 2025-2026, a total of 17,365 participants took part in the tournament organized by the Djarum Foundation's Sports Service and MilkLife. She assessed this as a positive response from young female soccer players who are increasingly loving and pursuing the sport of soccer, in line with the vision of the organizers.

"The enthusiasm of the participants is increasing, especially in Jakarta, where the initial event in 2024 had only 368 participants, but now there are more than 2,700. This shows that the consistency we have demonstrated in organizing the tournament has increased public trust in the quality of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge," said Teddy.

Furthermore, Teddy stated that the two new cities for MLSC 2025-2026, Bekasi and Malang, are still adapting in terms of quality, but it is believed that they will soon be able to compete with the cities that joined earlier. This growth also shows that schools and football academies are now more serious about preparing for regularly held tournaments, which has a positive impact on youth development in various regions.

"With regular events and consistently maintained quality of organization, new talent will naturally emerge. We believe that many young players in the Indonesian national team will eventually come from the MilkLife Soccer Challenge," he said.

Head Coach of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge, Timo Scheunemann, stated that as the number of participants in each MLSC event continues to increase, a phenomenon has emerged that is both beneficial and complicates the talent scouting team's efforts. Not a few schools and teams that are new to the 10 cities were able to compete directly and unearth potential talents. This condition is not unrelated to the growing popularity and appeal of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge in the community.

I see schools that participated previously continuing to strive to improve the quality of their respective teams in the competition to become champions in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge. However, quite a few schools that are participating for the first time are also unexpectedly able to compete. On one hand, the situation benefited us as organizers because many talents emerged that could be further developed. On the other hand, it also makes us have to be extra careful in attracting the best talents," said Timo.

MLSC Series 2 & All-Stars 2025 – 2026

Successfully held in Series 1, the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Series 2 2025-2026 is ready to kick off starting January 2026, once again targeting 10 cities: Kudus, Semarang, Surabaya, Tangerang, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Solo, Bekasi, and Malang. After that, the selected athletes will participate in MilkLife Soccer Extra Training to practice intensively before competing in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars 2025 – 2026 in June at the Supersoccer Arena in Kudus, Central Java. They will represent their respective cities to compete for the championship podium.

Senior Brand Executive for MilkLife, Wisnu Renggo Pambudi, stated that MilkLife is once again contributing to the success of the MLSC Series 2 2025-2026 event as part of the company's vision to support a healthy and active lifestyle for Indonesian children. She believes that with more and more female students becoming interested in soccer, it can contribute to the health of future generations. This aligns with MilkLife's vision and the WHO's recommendation for children's physical activity, which is one hour per day.

"We are proud of the spirit of the female students in the 10 host cities and saw firsthand how the students played with joy and courage. That's a picture of healthy, active, and confident children, values that are also the spirit of MilkLife. We believe early childhood development must be complemented by good nutrition. Therefore, we continue to support them so they can become stronger, braver, and more prepared to show their best abilities on the field," said Wisnu.

Teddy Tjahjono said that the positive climate experienced in Series 1 is expected to continue in the upcoming series. Beside maintaining the participants' enthusiasm, athletes who already possess above-average basic technical skills can further develop their abilities. The schedule for Series 2 is also adjusted to the academic calendar so it doesn't interfere with the students' school activities.

"Learning from the experience of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2024, there were situations where students who had already been selected in their respective cities were unable to participate in the All-Star game due to academic calendar conflicts. This factor caused us to adjust the schedule for the 2025-2026 MilkLife Soccer Challenge to align with the academic calendar and the Eid holiday period. The changes are intended to maximize participant involvement. "We've already calculated everything, including preparations for the All-Star game in June," he said.

Timo Scheunemann stated that the competition landscape for the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars 2025 – 2026 is certain to become even more intense. Kudus, who were the champions in the previous All-Stars period, are threatened with losing their title. This is because the spirit and fighting spirit of every athlete in every city are so high.

I see a very noticeable improvement in basic technical aspects, tactical understanding, and competitive mentality. Therefore, the competition at the All-Star game will definitely be even tougher because each city has had enough preparation time and the quality in each city continues to improve, making the chances of winning relatively even. "Each city brings its own character to the game, and that's what makes MLSC always interesting," he said.

In addition, there are differences in the match format for the 2025-2026 MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars, with the previous 7 vs 7 format now becoming 9 vs 9. "From the extra training sessions, we've been practicing 9 vs 9 because we're also preparing to compete in the Hydroplus Soccer League and the Pertiwi Cup, which indeed adopt that format, so it's consistent," added Timo.

Championship Battle at MLSC Jakarta Series 1 2025 - 2026

The MilkLife Soccer Challenge Jakarta Series 1 2025 – 2026 crowned new champions in the U10 category, namely SDN Cipinang Muara 19 Pagi, and in the U12 category, SDN Kunciran 4. SDN Cipinang Muara 19 Pagi solidified their position as a penalty shootout specialist after winning both the semi-final and final matches in an identical manner.

In the semifinals, Keyla Febriansyah and her teammates struggled to overcome the resistance of SDN Pinang 3, as the score ended 2-2 in normal time. They finally secured their spot in the final match by winning 2-0 thru a penalty shootout drama. Gaining experience playing in a high-pressure situation proved to be a significant asset for them in the final match against SDN Cipayung 02.

In the final match, SDN Cipinang Muara 19 Pagi played with confidence from the kick-off and immediately went on the attack. However, the tight defensive play of SDN Cipayung 02 made it difficult for them to get scoring opportunities. On the other hand, the team commanded by Gildas Syauqillah also launched counterattacks from time to time. The difficulty in creating chances and scoring goals led to a goalless draw at the end of the first half.

The game continued into the second half, and neither team was able to create many scoring opportunities. One of the best chances was created by Keyla exactly one minute before the end of the second half when she penetrated and managed to find space to take a powerful shot, but the attempt was still saved by the goalkeeper of SDN Cipayung 02, Nayla Inata Agustin.

A 0-0 draw meant the battle for the championship title had to be decided by a penalty shootout. The confidence of Keyla, Najwa Arvina Syarif, and Arletha Marsya Ramadhania allowed all three to successfully score goals in that mentally charged situation. SDN Cipinang Muara 19 Pagi finally emerged as the champion, securing a 3-2 victory over SDN Cipayung 02.

Grateful that in the final today, my friends and I were able to play well even tho our opponents were difficult to beat. "I'm so happy to finally be the champion, and hopefully our school can maintain this in the second series," said Keyla Febriansyah, who was chosen as the Best Player in the U-10 category at the MLSC Jakarta Series 1 2025-2026.

Meanwhile, in the KU 12 sector, a new champion emerged: SDN Kunciran 4, which successfully defeated Sekolah Anak Indonesia in the final match. This elementary school, which hails from and competed in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Tangerang, finally tasted victory for the first time after a great performance at the Kingkong Soccer Arena on Sunday (November 23).

SDN Kunciran 4 showed an impressive performance at the start of the match, immediately taking a 2-0 lead just five minutes into the game, with both goals scored by Syakila Nurajizah. Sekolah Anak Indonesia was able to react quickly and score a comeback goal in the 6th minute, created by Abepira Bagau. Subsequently, Uni Bagau scored the second goal for Sekolah Anak Indonesia, bringing the first half to a 2-2 draw.

In the second half, both teams scored another goal, bringing the match to a 3-3 draw and forcing a penalty shootout. The third goal for SDN Kunciran 4 was scored by Ashilah Athalla Gunawan from a free kick situation, while the equalizing goal for Sekolah Anak Indonesia came from the penalty spot when Kimelia Somau successfully executed her task as the taker. Goalkeeper Shofie Salsabila emerged as the hero of SDN Kunciran 4's victory in the penalty shootout drama, saving Kimelia's shot after she stepped up as the third kicker for Sekolah Anak Indonesia.

I'm so happy to be the champion. I've often reached the finals before but never won first place, so this victory truly means a lot. That final match was really tough, back and forth with goals, but thank God we finally managed to win. I dedicate this victory to my parents and school as well. "In the future, I want to keep improving my own game, and hopefully I can also play in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Star 2025-2026," said Zilda Afna Syaqila, the top scorer of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Jakarta Series 1 2025-2026 in the U-12 age group.

Here is the list of winners for the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Jakarta Series 1 2025 - 2026:

Age Category 10 Champion: SDN Cipinang Muara 19 Pagi Runner-up: SDN Cipayung 02 Semifinalists: SDN Pinang 3 and SDN Cakung Barat 05 Top Scorer: Gildas Syauqillah - SDN Cipayung 02 (25 goals) Best Player: Keyla Febriansyah - SDN Cipinang Muara 19 Pagi Best Goalkeeper: Kheila Salsabila Putri - SDN Cipinang Muara 19 Pagi Fairplay Team: SDN Cijantung 03

Age Category 12 Champion: SDN Kunciran 4 Runner-up: Sekolah Anak Indonesia Semifinalists: SDN Sunter Agung 5 and SDN Mampang 2 Top Scorer: Zilda Afna Syaqila - SDN Kunciran 4 (30 goals) Best Player: Andien Haifa Syakira - SDN Cinta Kasih Tzu Chi Best Goalkeeper: Efrati Janeeta Judit Bagau - Sekolah Anak Indonesia Fairplay Team: SDN Mangga Besar 11

Visit www.milklifesoccer.com to see the schedule, match results, standings, and the MilkLife Soccer Challenge top scorer list. And follow the MilkLife Soccer Challenge social media accounts (Instagram @milklifesoccer, TikTok @milklifesoccer, YouTube @milklifesoccer) for interesting information about the development of women's football.