Challenger Cup Women: Goztepe crowned champions after outclassing Jadran Split in final

There were jubilant scenes in Malta as Goztepe Sport Klub won the Challenger Cup after totally overpowering VK Jadran Split in Sunday’s final. Goztepe’s victory ensures the trophy is heading back to Türkiye after Izmir’s wins in 2024 and 2025. Earlier, SSV Esslingen got over the heartbreak of their semifinal loss to Jadran by edging past Clube Fluvial Portuense to secure the last spot on the podium.

2025/26 Challenger Cup Women
Final Four, Finals
(Cottonera, Malta)
Sunday 22 March

Gold Medal Game

VK Jadran Split (CRO) 7-16 Goztepe Sport Klub (TUR)

Bronze Medal Game

SSV Esslingen (GER) 13-10 Clube Fluvial Portuense (POR)

5th-8th Final classification standings
(Cottonera, Malta)

5th – Sirens ASC (MLT)
6th – Slavia UK Bratislava WP (SVK)
7th – London Otter (GBR)
8th – San Giljan ASC (MLT)

Gold Medal Game

VK Jadran Split (CRO) 7-16 Goztepe Sport Klub (TUR) (0-6, 2-2, 2-3, 3-5)

Goztepe Sport Klub dismantled Clube Fluvial Portuense in the semis on Saturday and carried that ruthless form into the final against VK Jadran Split on Sunday, as they roared to a comprehensive 7-16 victory.

The Turkish side completely overpowered their opponents from start to finish, with a 0-6 first quarter setting the tone and sending an ominous warning to the Croatians that they were in for a tough afternoon.

Eda Moroglu got Goztepe off the mark after just 48 seconds with a 6m blast, and she arrowed in another on extra shortly after for 0-2.

Jadran were struggling to mount any meaningful attack, missing three six-on-fives and conceding another four goals before the first break, which painted a sorry picture for the Croatians.

Neli Jankovic also missed a penalty at 0-4, with her 5m shot kept out by a combination of goalkeeper Jessica Francine Gaudreault’s right fingertips and the post.

Goztepe’s Canadian star Emma Wright made no mistake with her penalty early in the second period to pile more misery on Jadran, before Yasmin Amaralina Oliveira Angelo Ferraz made it 0-8 after overpowering her marker on 2m and smashing the ball past Marcela Misic.

Lara Srhoj finally found a way through Goztepe’s disciplined defence with 2:59 remaining in the half to open up Jadran’s account.

After 13:01 of play, Lara Srhoj was fed the ball on the left wing and managed to squeeze her fierce shot between Jessica Francine Gaudreault’s hand and the post to pull one back.

Srhoj struck again just 62 seconds later, finding space on the right wing and rifling her shot inside the right-hand post to make it 2-8 at half-time.

Those goals disrupted Goztepe’s rhythm somewhat and they were no longer dominating proceedings. After almost three minutes of battling at the start of the third, Neli Jankovic hammered in from the left wing to reduce the deficit to five.

Oliveira Angelo Ferraz halted Jadran’s 3-0 run and restored the six-goal advantage – and some calm among the Goztepe players – with a neat finish on extra, tipping the ball in from close range and leaving Misic with no chance between the posts.

When Kubra Kus struck next, followed by another from Oliveira Angelo Ferraz, any hopes of a remarkable turnaround were firmly extinguished.

Srhoj completed her hat-trick late in the third from a penalty, but there was no way back for Jadran.

Goztepe hit the first three goals of the fourth to rubber-stamp their authority in the final, easing to a dominant nine-goal victory, much to the delight of their loud and passionate travelling supporters in the stands.

Bronze Medal Game

SSV Esslingen (GER) 13-10 Clube Fluvial Portuense (POR) (5-3, 0-2, 4-4, 4-1)

SSV Esslingen delivered the perfect response to their semi-final heartbreak against Jadran Split, bouncing back in style to defeat Clube Fluvial Portuense and secure the bronze medal.

Captain Jamie-Julique Haas led by example, putting Saturday’s penalty shootout disappointment firmly behind her with a commanding display, smashing in a game-high four goals to guide her side onto the podium.

The Germans made a blistering start, storming into a 5-1 lead inside the opening six minutes. However, Portuguese internationals Beatriz Periera and Ana Monteiro responded to keep Clube Fluvial Portuense within touching distance at the first break (5-3).

The momentum continued to shift in the second period, as Esslingen’s attack stalled and the Porto side tightened up defensively, shutting their opponents out completely.

The Germans were unable to draw a single exclusion, and with Marta Magano and Periera both on target, the scores were level at half-time (5-5).

Esslingen regrouped after the interval and struck early in the third, as Kleopatra Ntona-Tsiaka ended her side’s 11:27 drought from the centre. Martina Antonucci followed up from 6m to restore their two-goal cushion (7-5).

The Portuguese were determined to stop Esslingen opening up another significant lead and kept hitting back, and despite Lenka Garancovska resetting their two-goal advantage with a minute left in the third (9-7), Pereira struck again, then Ana Leonor Ribeiro equalised with just seven seconds on the clock.

Those goals gave Clube Fluvial real belief they could go on and win it, as 93 seconds into the fourth, Magano scored from the centre to nudge her team ahead for the first time in the game.

The lead didn’t last long, though, 20 seconds to be precise, as Antonucci hit her second of the match to level, then Viktoria Tomica and Maite Schafft fired in to put Esslingen two clear once again with just 0:45 on the clock.

Haas then finished the game in style following a Clube Fluvial Portuense time-out, as she immediately stole possession and shot past retreating goalkeeper Mariana Pinto Carvalho, who was completely stranded and could only watch as the ball sailed over her and into the empty net.

At that point, the celebrations could really start as the victory was sealed and they knew they would be returning to Germany with a medal.

5th-8th Classification standings
(Cottonera, Malta)

5th – Sirens ASC (MLT)
6th – Slavia UK Bratislava WP (SVK)
7th – London Otter (GBR)
8th – San Giljan ASC (MLT)

Friday 20 March

Sirens ASC (MLT) 16-9 London Otter (GBR)
San Giljan ASC (MLT) 7-14 Slavia UK Bratislava WP (SVK)

Saturday 21 March

Sirens ASC (MLT) 18-7 Slavia UK Bratislava WP (SVK)
San Giljan ASC (MLT) 14-15 London Otter (GBR)

Sunday 22 March

London Otter (GBR) 11-14 Slavia UK Bratislava WP (SVK)
San Giljan ASC (MLT) 4-16 Sirens ASC (MLT)

Standings: 1. Sirens 9pts, 2. Bratislava 6pts, 3. Otter 3pts, 4. San Giljan 0pts

The teams from Malta had contrasting fortunes in the classification tournament, which was also held in Cottonera alongside the Final Four competition.

While Sirens ASC swept all their opponents aside, winning each game by seven or more goals, San Giljan failed to register a single win, including a narrow one-goal loss to London Otter (14-15), which was the most closely contested clash of the weekend.

Sirens’ Brazilian star Samantha Ferreira was their most prolific scorer over their three games, hammering in six against Otter and Bratislava, before just scoring a single goal against domestic rivals San Giljan on the final day, when fifth place was already safely secured.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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