Five Senior debuts mark another step in Alamein’s player pathway

Five young Alamein players made their Senior NPLW debuts during the 2026 season, marking an important milestone for the players themselves and another sign of the growing connection between the club’s emerging and senior programs.

From left to right in the image above, Ella Kerrigan, Setarah Qasimi, Emilia Fode, Lola Martinico and Mae O’Brien all played Senior NPLW football for Alamein FC for the first time this year, after developing within the club’s pathway.

Each player’s debut represented a reward for the work that came before it: training, competing and continuing to develop within Alamein’s emerging program, before earning the opportunity to compete at the Senior level.

Qasimi began the 2026 season as a member of Alamein’s Senior squad, after progressing from the U20s, and made her first Senior appearance during the year.

Fode, Kerrigan, Martinico and O’Brien were members of Alamein’s U20 squad in 2026, with each earning the opportunity to step up and play Senior NPLW football during the season.

Their debuts are part of a broader focus on developing players who can eventually contribute at senior level.

This process is deliberately gradual. A place in Alamein’s junior or emerging program does not guarantee progression into the Senior squad, nor is development necessarily linear. But creating opportunities for players who are ready to train, compete and be tested at the next level is an important part of the club’s football program.

The connection between the U20s and Seniors is particularly important. The U20 competition provides players with an opportunity to continue developing within a high-performance environment while remaining close to Senior football, with coaches able to identify players who may be ready for additional challenges.

For the Senior program, developing players internally also helps build greater depth over time. Young players can arrive at Senior level already familiar with the club, its expectations and the demands of the environment, while continuing to learn alongside more experienced teammates.

Naturally, the five debuts in 2026 don’t represent the end of these players’ development process. For Qasimi, Fode, Kerrigan, Martinico and O’Brien, Senior football presents another level to work towards and, when opportunities arise, another chance to test themselves.

But a first Senior appearance remains a significant moment.

Alamein congratulates Setarah, Emilia, Ella, Lola and Mae on reaching that milestone, and the coaches, teammates and families who have supported their development along the way.