City visit Manurewa in penultimate round

Words: ACFC Media

Friday 25 August 2023

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Northern League leaders Auckland City FC will travel to South Auckland for a crucial clash in the title race to take on Manurewa AFC on Saturday afternoon.

The defending champions are two points clear of their title rivals Eastern Suburb with only two rounds to go and a victory on Saturday would go a long way for them towards clinching the 2023 Northern League crown.

Both City and fourth-placed Manurewa have already secured their places in the 2023 National League which will kick off next month, however, Albert Riera’s men are eager to finish on top and collect their second silverware of the season following their OFC Champions League triumph in Vanuatu back in May.

The two teams’ first ever meeting at the Croatian Club on June 28 was a one-sided affair with the Navy Blues overpowering their South Auckland rivals 7-0.

But the visitors’ coach insists Saturday’s match against a Manurewa side on a four-match winning streak will be a different proposition.

“A massive game for us and it’s going to be a different game, actually I think the pressure is on us because were are still in the run for winning the Northern League, we still have two games and it’s in our hands but we have to do the job,” explained Riera.

“Manurewa have achieved what they wanted to achieve which is qualification for the National League so they are going to play without pressure and when you play a team that don’t have pressure they become very dangerous.

“You put hat to the fact that they are having very good results, they have very good players especially up front and that makes them a very competitive team”, added the Navy Blues coach.

The visitors will be missing four of their young guns - Joe Lee, Liam Gillion, Nathan Lobo and Aidan Carey - who are all on international duty at the OFC Olympic Qualifier tournament with the New Zealand U-23 team but new signing Oliver Colloty is available for selection.

Meanwhile the Auckland City FC U-23s, who are one points clear at he Lotto NRFL U-23 Premiership table, will face the Manurewa youngsters from 12:30 pm at the Manurewa War Memorial Park.

Ends

Match Details
Northern League Round 21
Saturday, 26 August 2023
Manurewa v Auckland City FC
Manurewa War Memorial Park, Kick-off: 3;00pm

AC SQUAD: 1-Conor TRACEY (GK), 2- Mario ILICH, 3- Adam MITCHELL, 4-Christian GRAY, 5-Michael DEN HEIJER, 6-Dan MORGAN, 7-Cam HOWIESON (c), 8-Gerard GARRIGA, 9-Angus KILKOLLY, 10-Dylan MANICKUM, 11-Ryan DE VRIES, 12-Regont MURATI, 13-Nathan LOBO, 14-Jordan VALE, 15- Aidan CAREY, 16-Joseph LEE, 17-Oliver COLLOTY, 18. Sebastian CIGANDA (GK), 19-Liam GILLION, 20- Emiliano TADE, 21- Adam BELL, 22-Tong ZHOU. 24-Joe WALLIS (GK), 25-Takuya IWATA, 26-Rayan TAYEB, 27-Stipe UKICH

COACH: Albert RIERA
ASSISTANT COACH: Ivan VICELICH
GK COACH: Enaut ZUBIKARAI
TECHNICAL: Adria CASALS
TECHNICAL: Jarrod WALLACE
LOGISTICS: Keith COTON
PHYSIO: Matt PAYNE