The MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang 2025, held from Wednesday (April 23) to Sunday (April 27) at Stadion Mini Cisauk and Stadion Trimatra Kodiklat TNI Serpong, was a resounding success. A total of 963 participants from 54 elementary schools (SD) and Islamic elementary schools (MI) in Tangerang and surrounding areas took part in the tournament, organized by the Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation and MilkLife.

The Program Director of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge, Teddy Tjahjono, expressed his delight at the enthusiasm of the 88 teams participating, including 16 teams in the U-10 category and 72 teams in the U-12 category. The event not only saw participation from public schools and MI but also international schools, adding to the excitement of the tournament. Teddy noted that the diversity of participants from various backgrounds created a positive atmosphere and motivated schools to compete and prove themselves as the best.

"This indicates that the teams, whether they are returning participants or new ones, are enthusiastic about training because they know there is a regularly held tournament where they can hone their skills and #DareToScore. It is very important that the MilkLife Soccer Challenge continues to be organized consistently and sustainably," said Teddy.

He further added that the quality and skill of the teams and individuals in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang 2025 have greatly improved compared to previous editions. He hopes that this positive trend will also be followed by other cities, with the belief that they will soon be able to compete on the international stage. The achievements of the HydroPlus Strikers (U-14) and MilkLife Shakers (U-12), both of whom finished as runners-up in the 2025 JSSL Singapore 7's, prove that Indonesian female football players possess the skills to be reckoned with.

"This shows that what we have done over the past year by scouting and training the best players has allowed them to compete with teams from other Asian countries. This makes us even more optimistic that the current abilities of our U-12 and U-14 female football teams are already quite formidable and only need further refinement," Teddy continued.

Asep Sunarya, the Assistant Head Coach of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge, acknowledged the growing number of new participants, which aligned with the emerging talent in football. He cited the 2024 MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang Series 2 U-12 champions, British School Jakarta, who were eliminated in the group stage this year. Asep also mentioned that he had identified several promising players who would be invited to the MilkLife Soccer Extra Training following their impressive performances during the competition.

"We appreciate the new teams that performed brilliantly in this tournament. This also shows that the competition in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge is quite fierce and not dominated by just one or two teams. As a result, we have already identified new talents, with approximately 11 players from the U-12 category who will be called for extra training, in addition to those we selected earlier," Asep explained.

He added that the journey for the players in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge doesn't end with winning the tournament. There will be the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars, set to take place in July 2026 at the Supersoccer Arena in Kudus, Central Java. "In addition, there will be follow-up tournaments (Series 1 and Series 2) in each city, and this year we will be adding two new cities. It is also possible that the best players will compete in prestigious international football tournaments," he added.

The Rise of the Champion

The final match of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang 2025, held at Stadion Mini Cisauk on Sunday (April 27) afternoon, was fiercely contested. In the U-10 category, British School Jakarta triumphed as the champion after defeating SDN Pinang 3. Meanwhile, in the U-12 category, SDN Buaran 01 claimed the top spot after defeating SDN Jelupang 01 B.

The U-10 final match, which saw former semifinalists of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang Series 2 2024, SDN Pinang 3 and British School Jakarta, was tightly contested. Both teams exchanged attacks from the beginning, but British School Jakarta's Eve Garvey, wearing the number 7 jersey, capitalized on a scramble in the penalty box to score in the 2nd minute. British School Jakarta extended their lead with a goal from Jaela Emil-Morrish in the 9th minute, leaving the score at 2-0 at halftime.

In the second half, SDN Pinang 3 continued to apply pressure. Anggun Selaras Wahyu Nugroho managed to convert a scramble in front of the opposing goal into a goal for his team. Despite the efforts of top scorer Nitya Safira Jaya, who posed significant challenges to British School Jakarta, the match ended 2-1 in favor of British School Jakarta.

British School Jakarta player Eve Garvey expressed her satisfaction with her team's performance, despite having limited training, "I am very happy and proud of my team for winning the final. We were a bit nervous, but because of our strong team spirit, we encouraged each other and even sang together to relieve stress. Besides the team, I also want to thank our coach and parents who have always supported us," Eve said.

Samantha Rule, coach of British School Jakarta, expressed pride in her team's achievement and praised the organization of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang 2025. "I would like to thank MilkLife Soccer Challenge for organizing this wonderful tournament. This is our second time participating. Last year, we lost in the semifinals, but this year, with a new team and younger players, we became champions," said the coach, who has participated in Manchester City's Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program.

Meanwhile, the final match of the U-12 category was intense. An own goal from SDN Jelupang 01 B opened the scoring for SDN Buaran 01 in the 3rd minute. The two teams traded attacks, but in the 10th minute, Keyla Zivara Aprilia Nugraha scored with a precise shot. Two minutes later, Mauza Adzkiya's attack found the back of the net for SDN Buaran 01. SDN Buaran 01 responded with a long-range shot from goalkeeper Chasyafa Nur Chasanah, and by halftime, the score stood at 3-1 in favor of SDN Buaran 01.

In the second half, Adiba Khanza Azzahra Banobe's early goal for SDN Jelupang 01 B narrowed the deficit. However, SDN Buaran 01 continued their dominant performance, with strong shots from Aira Septiyani and Keyla Zivara Aprilia Nugraha, leading them to a 6-2 victory.

SDN Buaran 01 reclaimed the championship after finishing as runners-up in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang Series 2 2024. Aira Septiyani, the three-time top scorer, admitted feeling nervous despite her team's regular appearances in the finals since MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang Series 1 2024. "It was very nerve-wracking because we were playing against our own friends. Although there were many new teams this time, we didn't face too many difficulties. The key to our victory was playing together, staying calm, and being sportsmanlike. I will continue to train hard so that I can join the All-Stars team in the future," said Aira.

MilkLife Soccer Challenge – Tangerang 2025 Winners

U-10 Category:

Champion: British School Jakarta
Runner-up: SDN Pinang 3
Semifinalists: SDN Pondok Jagung 02 and SDN Pondok Kacang Timur 04
Top Scorer: Nitya Safira Jaya - SDN Pinang 3 (15 goals)
Best Player: Nitya Safira Jaya - SDN Pinang 3
Best Goalkeeper: Evelyn Merriott - British School Jakarta
Fairplay Team: SDN Pondok Kacang Timur 04

U-12 Category:

Champion: SDN Buaran 01
Runner-up: SDN Jelupang 01 B
Semifinalists: UPTD SDN Setu and UPTD SDN Pakujaya 02
Top Scorer: Aira Septiyani - SDN Buaran 01 (29 goals)
Best Player: Keyla Zivara Aprilia Nugraha - SDN Buaran 01
Best Goalkeeper: Chasyafa Nur Chasanah - SDN Buaran 01
Fairplay Team: UPTD SDN Setu

Visit www.milklifesoccer.com for schedules, match results, standings, and goal scorers of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge - Tangerang 2025. Also, follow the MilkLife Soccer Challenge social media accounts (Instagram @milklifesoccer, TikTok @milklifesoccer, YouTube @milklifesoccer) for exciting updates on the development of women’s football.

404

Not Found