It was a case of triple delight for Alexander Satariano at the MFPA Awards 2025 as the versatile Birkirkara FC and Malta midfielder became the first player to win the MFPA Men’s Best Player and Best Young Player honours in addition to his nomination in the MFPA Men’s Best XI for the outgoing season.

In the female categories, Shona Zammit captured the top prize after securing her second MFPA Women’s Best Player award, capping a memorable season in which the talented midfielder helped Swieqi United win their maiden women’s league title. Zammit, 28, was also named in the MFPA Women’s Best XI. 

The performances and achievements of the stand-out players in the senior football competitions during 2024-25 came into focus at the MFPA’s annual event, held on Monday, 12th May, at the Radisson Blu Golden Sands Resort. 

Winning the MFPA Men’s Best Player and Young Player awards for the first time in his career, Satariano, 23, has been recognised by his peers after arguably the best season of his senior career so far. The Birkirkara FC captain helped his team reach the final of the Premier League, held last Saturday, and the semi-finals of the FA Trophy, being played this Wednesday.

Satariano collected the highest number of votes with the other two finalists being Birkirkara team-mate Maxuell Maia and goalkeeper Henry Bonello who plays for champions Ħamrun Spartans.

In the women’s category, Zammit was named best player of the season, staving off competition from San Ġwann striker Hailey Russell and Valeria Villegas Caly, the Mġarr United forward.

Nicole Sciberras, the Hibernians and Malta midfielder, retained the MFPA Women’s Best Young Player award, joining Satariano as winners of the best young player honours.

A total of 36 awards were given out during the MFPA Awards 2025 with 22 presented to the players who were selected in the MFPA Best XI for both men and women.

Floriana are the most represented team with three players selected in the 2024-25 MFPA Men’s Best XI followed by Birkirkara and Marsaxlokk with two nominees each.

In the MFPA Women’s Best XI, newly-crowned women’s champions Swieqi United have four nominees followed by Knock-Out winners Mġarr United with three.
 

CHALLENGE LEAGUE HONOURS

The Challenge League honours were shared as Valletta, the winners of the second-tier championship, provided two winners, Timothy Aquilina (goalkeeper) and Brandon Paiber (midfielder) while Żurrieq players Darren Borg (defender) and Sulahmana Bah (forward) clinched the two other awards. Paiber, the Valletta captain, secured the MFPA Challenge League Best Overall Player award. 

The MFPA Best Amateur League 1 award went to Julian Azzopardi, the Birżebbuġa St Peter’s goalkeepeer who was prominent during his team’s championship-winning campaign, while Rondinely Monteiro, who plays for National Amateur League 2 winners Victoria Hotspurs, claimed the first MFPA Best Amateur League 2 award.

MERIT AWARD FOR DORIANNE THEUMA 

Dorianne Theuma, the former women’s team captain, had a night to remember. After being named MFPA Best Women’s Coach, Theuma was honoured with the MFPA Assikura Merit Award. 

Regarded as one of the country’s most talented female players, Theuma has been recognised for her outstanding football career in which she became the first Maltese female player to reach 100 caps for the national team, going on to make 118 appearances. During her glittering career, Theuma also won several honours at club level as well as individual awards.

Theuma retired from competitive football last year to focus on her coaching career, guiding Swieqi United to their maiden women’s championship. She received the MFPA Merit Award from Mark Barbara, Deputy General Secretary of the MFPA.

The MFPA Awards 2025 were presented by Keane Cutajar and Amy Borg.

MFPA AWARDS 2025 – THE WINNERS

MFPA Men’s Best Player: Alexander Satariano (Birkirkara)

MFPA Women’s Best Player: Shona Zammit (Swieqi United)

MFPA Men’s Best Young Player: Alexander Satariano (Birkirkara)

MFPA Women’s Best Young Player: Nicole Sciberras (Hibernians)
 

MFPA MEN’S BEST XI (1-4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Henry Bonello (Ħamrun Spartans)

Centre-backs: Oualid El Hasni (Floriana); Gabriel Mentz (Gżira United)

Right-back: Carlo Zammit Lonardelli (Floriana)

Left-back: Leandro Aguirre (Marsaxlokk) 

Midfielders: Prince Afriyie (Mosta), Alexander Satariano (Birkirkara), Dunstan Vella (Floriana)

Forwards: Mohamed Awad (Sliema Wanderers), Alex Gomes (Marsaxlokk), Maxuell Maia (Birkirkara)

MFPA Men’s Best Coach: Paul Zammit (Sliema Wanderers).
 

MFPA WOMEN’S BEST XI (1-4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Patricia Araujo Da Silva (Swieqi United)

Centre-backs: Charlene Zammit (Birkirkara); Rafanny Mendoza (Swieqi United).

Right-back: Rebecca Bajada (Mġarr United)

Left-back: Emma Xuereb (Swieqi United)

Midfielders: Amber Grech (Mġarr United); Nicole Sciberras (Hibernians); Shona Zammit (Swieqi United).

Forwards: Erica Bispo (Birkirkara); Hailey Russell (San Ġwann); Valeria Villegas Caly (Mġarr United)

MFPA Women’s Best Coach: Dorianne Theuma (Swieqi United)

MFPA Best Challenge League Player: Brandon Paiber (Valletta)

MFPA Best Challenge League Goalkeeper: Timothy Aquilina (Valletta)

MFPA Best Challenge League Defender: Darren Borg (Żurrieq)

MFPA Best Challenge League Midfielder: Brandon Paiber (Valletta)

MFPA Best Challenge League Forward: Sulahmana Mamadu Bah (Żurrieq)

MFPA Best Amateur League 1 Player: Julian Azzopardi (Birżebbuġa St Peter’s)

MFPA Best Amateur League 2 Player:  Rondinely Monteiro (Victoria Hotspurs)

MFPA Assikura Merit Award: Dorianne Theuma

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Alexander Satariano, il-midfielder versatili ta’ Birkirkara u t-tim nazzjonali Malti, kien l-iktar plejer li spikka waqt is-serata tal-MFPA Awards wara li rebaħ xejn inqas minn tliet unuri. Satariano, li għandu 23 sena, sar l-ewwel plejer li rebaħ l-unuri tal-MFPA Men’s Best u Best Young Player u kien anke nominat fl-MFPA Men’s Best XI.

Fil-futbol tan-nisa, Shona Zammit rebħet l-unur tal-MFPA Women’s Best Player għat-tieni darba fil-karriera tagħha biex inkurunat staġun memorabbli li matulu hi għenet lil Swieqi United jirbħu l-ewwel kampjonat tan-nisa fl-istorja tal-klabb. Zammit, li għandha 28 sena, kienet magħżula wkoll fl-MFPA Best Women’s XI. 

L-avveniment annwali tal-Malta Football Players Association, li sar fil-lukanda Radisson Blu Golden Sands it-Tnejn 12 ta’ Mejju, iċċelebra l-prestazzjonijiet u l-kisbiet tal-iktar plejers prominenti matul l-istaġun 2024-25.

Satariano kien rikonoxxut mill-plejers wara probabbilment l-aqwa staġun tal-karriera tiegħu. Il-captain ta’ Birkirkara FC għen lit-tim tiegħu jasal sal-finali tal-kampjonat Premier u s-semi-finali tal-FA Trophy li jintlagħbu l-Erbgħa.

Satariano kiseb l-akbar numru ta’ voti bil-finalisti l-oħra għal dan l-unur ikunu Maxuell Maia ta’ Birkirkara u l-goalkeeper taċ-champions Ħamrun Spartans, Henry Bonello.

Fil-kategorija tan-nisa, Zammit kellha l-ikbar numru ta’ voti bil-finalisti l-oħra jkunu l-attakkanta ta’ San Ġwann, Hailey Russell, u Valeria Villegas Caly, ta’ Mġarr United.

Nicole Sciberras, il-midfielder ta’ Hibernians u tat-tim nazzjonali Malti, rebħet l-unur tal-MFPA Women’s Best Young Player għat-tieni sena konsekuttiva biex b’hekk ingħaqdet ma’ Satariano bħala r-rebbieħa tal-unuri ta’ Best Young Player.

Total ta’ 36 premju ġew mogħtija waqt l-MFPA Awards 2025, bi 22 minnhom ikunu ppreżentati lill-plejers li ġew magħżula fl-MFPA Best XI kemm għall-irġiel kif ukoll għan-nisa.

Floriana huma t-tim bl-aktar rappreżentanti fl-MFPA Men’s Best XI għall-istaġun 2024-25, bi tliet plejers magħżula, segwiti minn Birkirkara u Marsaxlokk b’żewġ nominati kull wieħed.

Fl-MFPA Women’s Best XI, iċ-champions il-ġodda tan-nisa Swieqi United għandhom erba’ nominati, segwiti mir-rebbieħa tal-kompetizzjoni Knock-Out Mġarr United bi tlieta.

CHALLENGE LEAGUE

Fiċ-Challenge League, Brandon Paiber, il-captain ta’ Valletta li rebħu ċ-Challenge League b’mod konvinċenti, kiseb żewġ unuri wara li kien ivvutat bħala l-MFPA Best Overall Challenge League Player u Best Midfielder. 

Timothy Aquilina, il-goalkeeper ta’ Valletta, kien dikjarat rebbieħ tal-unur MFPA Best Challenge League Goalkeeper.

Iż-żewġ unuri l-oħra assoċjati maċ-Challenge League marru għand il-plejers ta’ Żurrieq, Darren Borg (MFPA Best Challenge League Defender) u Sulahmana Bah (MFPA Best Challenge League Forward).

Julian Azzopardi, il-goalkeeper ta’ Birżebbuġa St Peter’s, rebbieħa tal-Kampjonat National Amateur League 1, kien ippremjat għall-prestazzjonijiet tiegħu bl-unur tal-MFPA Best Amateur League 1 Player filwaqt li Rondinely Monteiro, attakkant ta’ Victoria Hotspurs li rebħu l-kampjonat Amateur League 2, kien ivvutat bhala Best National Amateur League 2 Player.

RIKONOXXIMENT GHAL DORIANNE THEUMA

Dorianne Theuma, l-eks captain tat-tim nazzjonali li lagħbet 118 partita għal Malta, kienet ippremjata bl-MFPA Assikura Merit Award, it-tieni unur għaliha matul is-serata wara li rebħet l-unur tal-aqwa coach fil-futbol tan-nisa.

Meqjusa fost l-aqwa plejers femminili fl-istorja tal-futbol Malti, Theuma kienet rikonoxxuta mill-MFPA għall-karriera brillanti fejn saret l-ewwel plejer li laħqet it-tragward prestiġjuż ta’ 100 logħba għat-tim nazzjonali. Theuma rebħet diversi unuri oħra matul il-karriera kemm f’livell ta’ klabb u anke unuri individwali. Hi temmet il-karriera tagħha bħala plejer is-sena l-oħra biex tiffoka fuq il-coaching fejn anke kisbet suċċess wara li mexxiet lil Swieqi United għar-rebħ tal-ewwel kampjonat tan-nisa fl-istorja tal-klabb.

Mark Barbara, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali tal-MFPA, ippreżenta l-MFPA Assikura Merit Award lil Theuma.

Is-serata tal-MFPA Awards 2025 kienet ippreżentata minn Keane Cutajar u Amy Borg.