Kota Kinabalu: Enzi Hekima Starks Broussard struck late to help Sabah FA successfully defend their National Women’s League (NWL) title, securing a 1-0 victory over Selangor FC in Sunday night’s final at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras.
The American unleashed a 30-yard strike in the 88th minute that Selangor FC goalkeeper Nurdiana Syafiqah Mohd Rostam misjudged, allowing the ball to bounce off her hands and into the net for the match’s only goal.
It was a heartbreaking moment for Nurdiana, who had otherwise played brilliantly, making several crucial saves to deny Sabah FC before the costly error.
As expected, it was a tight affair between the top two teams in the group stage. Selangor FC started strong, creating a couple of early chances before Sabah FA began to control the game.
Enzi, who was named Player of the Match, saw her goal-bound free kick parried away by Nurdiana in the 21st minute; the goalkeeper then produced another fine save in the 38th minute to deny Juliana Barek.
Apart from a near-miss by Selangor FC’s Yeo Menji in the 69th minute, Sabah FA looked the more likely to score and Enzi finally delivered the winner.
It is Sabah FA’s third title in four years and it also earns them the opportunity to represent Malaysia once again in the AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) next season.
Muhd Arziz Afizy, Chairman of the Sabah Women’s Football Committee, attributed the team’s successful title defence to long-term strategic planning and a shared commitment from everyone involved.
“Alhamdulillah, today we have once again been crowned National Women’s League champions.
“This victory is the result of a collective effort, driven by the dedication and hard work of our players,” he said.
“I also want to express my deepest gratitude to the coaching staff whose expert guidance enabled us to successfully defend our 2026 title“Securing the championship for the third time is no accident; it is the direct outcome of meticulous planning, quality coaching and the high calibre of our players.
“By blending seasoned veterans with emerging talent, we have successfully maintained our championship status,” he added.
Looking ahead to next season’s continental campaign, Arziz stated that Sabah FA will leverage their past two appearances to address team weaknesses and push for greater progress in the AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL).
“Next year marks our third time representing Malaysia in the AWCL.
“We have built solid experience over the last two years. In our debut season, we qualified for the group stage, though last year we fell short after a defeat to a team from Bengal.
“For 2027, we are determined to give our absolute best to return to the group stage, using everything we have learned to fix our shortcomings,” he said.
Sabah FA’s head coach Bobby Gonzales credited the team’s fighting spirit as the driving force behind their successful title defence.
He praised his players for battling relentlessly across the full 90 minutes, a persistence that ultimately yielded the match-winning goal in the dying moments of the game.
“Alhamdulillah, we have successfully retained the championship for the second consecutive year, and I am incredibly proud of every player on the pitch,” he said.
“They gave everything they had from kickoff until the final whistle. With an unyielding spirit like that, they truly deserved tonight’s victory.”Meanwhile, Sabah FA also swept three awards: Bobby was named Best Coach for the season, while Sebin An took home Best Player and Asma Junaidi was crowned Best Goalkeeper.
