Melegh: We Have Belief Behind Us

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.

"I don't think anything can describe it - it's an absolute honour," she said.

"Not many people get to do this in their lifetime. I just know once I put that jersey on, I have to give 100%. The 'never say die' that the Matildas live by, we live by it too. We've just got to do it till it's done."

She praised the togetherness of the group, building on the belief they have in themselves and each other.

"On-field is one thing, but off-field is a very important thing in teams too," she explained.

"All of us girls are really close, with our culture. We all love each other. It's like a big family, and even though we're coming from different states, different A-League clubs, we all really get along with each other. That makes the on-field experience and standards a lot better, because we all trust each other on and off the field.

"It's a great bunch of girls. It's not hard to get along with them. We all really like each other, and I think that'll be the extra step that will take this team really far."

The team got off to a positive start to the tournament, defeating Chinese Taipei 5-0. Melegh knows that there will be challenges throughout the month - CommBank Matildas Head Coach Joe Montemurro emphasised as much when he spoke to the group this week - but believes in the ability to the team to pull it together when it matters.

"If there is one game we might not perform how we wanted to perform, just make sure that we know that we can get back on," she said.

"Even though one loss means we might be a bit rocky for a little bit, we definitely can get back on track with a good win against a more difficult team. One loss won't mean that it's over. We just have to keep building on that."

AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup 2026™