Gibraltar grabbed a draw against Hearts in Edinburgh

Edinburgh witnessed the Gibraltar women’s national team secure a draw against their hosts, Hearts. The Scottish side, currently fourth in the Scottish Power Premier League, faced Gibraltar in a friendly match this weekend. Hearts have won 17 of their 32 matches played this season. The match was organized as part of an extensive training program that sees the Gibraltar team playing in England, Scotland, and Spain.

Gibraltar broke the deadlock after a tense first half. Floating a cross into the path of Joelle Gilbert down the right flank, she ran it to the touchline and sent a cross to the far post, where Shania Robba came from behind the defense to head in the opener just a minute before halftime.

“Getting a draw against one of the best teams in Scotland shows how far we’ve come,” said goal-scorer Shania Robba after the match. Joelle Gilbert later added that the performances this past week have given them a lot of confidence for the journey ahead.

“After an absolutely fantastic performance from the WNT, Gibraltar held Hearts to a hard-fought draw, giving absolutely everything out on the pitch,” said Gibraltar FA officials.

Hearts managed to equalize, leveling the score in a tightly contested match. This provided Gibraltar players with a chance to experience a different style of football from what they are accustomed to, playing in the cold conditions of Scotland. As the team prepares to play in various venues in a short period, the program aims to simulate the experiences they will face next year if they enter the Nations League, as assured by the Gibraltar FA.

The summer program is aimed at preparing for 2025, when Gibraltar is expected to enter League C (or D, depending on numbers) of the Women’s Nations League, marking their official debut in senior international competitive football. This comes over ten years since Gibraltar joined UEFA.

Speaking to the Gibraltar FA official website, Tiffany Viaga explained that the matches had been “games where we see where we are.” Alex Ambrosio added that they also allowed for “personal goals” and an opportunity to “grow, take the coach's advice, and have consistency.”

The team, which has gained additional exposure through the Gibraltar FA social media, saw the latter two players describing the atmosphere as a “family” atmosphere, countering some of the claims made on social media.

Images of the Gibraltar womens team in the UK this past week. Images courtesy Gibraltar FA