CommBank Young Matildas goalkeeper Ilona Melegh said that the team had strong belief in themselves to succeed at the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026™.
The Adelaide United player has burst onto the scene this season at club and international level with her impressive shot-stopping and calm, composed presence in the penalty area.
“I know this group can achieve a lot,” she said.
“With the belief behind us like that, and all the staff we have with us, I think we can definitely get this job done.
“To see where we’ve come from, to where we are now, we’ve taken a lot of steps in the right direction. They are big steps that can help us to be able to win trophies in the end.”
They will be looking to take the lessons from the senior CommBank Matildas campaign last month to inspire and lift them to success.
“The main learning was that there will be a few dips in tournaments – they did lose one game, but then they bought it back the next game,” she said.
“They were really able to push through really far to get to the final. They did Australia really proud getting there, and I really hope that we can do the same.”
Melegh came into goalkeeping relatively late. She juggled football with elite-level cricket before being spotted by SA NTC Women’s Head Coach Michele Lastella at a grand final in Adelaide.
“I kind of just played what my brother played,” she recalled.
“He played soccer for Cumberland United boys, so I decided just to start watching his training sessions… whenever they needed a spare player, I would put my hand up and be like – yeah, please, can I play?”
“I wouldn’t say my parents are very sporty. They sometimes don’t really know what’s going on. My Mum tries her best, but Grandma thinks that I’m still playing cricket on the TV sometimes!”
“Michele Lastella saw me playing for Adelaide Uni in a grand final and picked me up from there. He said – you look like a goalkeeper, train like a goalkeeper, and play like a goalkeeper. So I was like, well, I’m gonna go have to give it a crack. Lucky I did.”
Now, she is a key part of the CommBank Young Matildas at a major tournament. She said it’s impossible to describe the feeling that putting on the jersey evokes.
