AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Auckland City FC face a hectic King’s Birthday weekend as they prepare for back-to-back fixtures before departing for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
28 May 2025
The Navy Blues kick off their busy schedule on Friday night, heading to Fred Taylor Park to face West Coast Rangers in a crucial Northern League clash.
Sitting second on the table behind league leaders Birkenhead, Paul Posa’s side will aim to extend their winning streak to three matches and maintain their push for top spot.
Rangers, currently 10th with three wins, two draws, and six losses, are eager to find consistency after a mixed run of form.
Their previous encounter in March saw Auckland City grind out a hard-fought 2-1 victory, with Jeremy Foo marking his debut with a goal before Dylan Manickum sealed the win late on. Historically, the Navy Blues have dominated this matchup, winning seven of their eight encounters, with Rangers still searching for their maiden victory.
Midfielder David Yoo emphasised the importance of maintaining the team’s momentum. “Yeah, it’s obviously really important. You know, we want to keep the winning run going and obviously get as much wins and get some momentum going into obviously an important month, next month. So yeah, obviously a tough game. Yeah, we’ve played them once already and obviously a really good side and we have to play at our best to hopefully get a good run.”
MATCH DETAILS
Northern League R12
West Coast Rangers vs Auckland City FC
Friday, 30 May2025,
Fred Taylor Park
KO: 7:00pm
Barely 24 hours later, Auckland City will return home to Kiwitea Street for a Chatham Cup Round 2 showdown against Onehunga Mangere United AFC.
The Mountain Men, coached by former Auckland City and Central United boss Paul Marshall, have endured a difficult season in the NRFL Men’s Championship, sitting second-last in the standings. With just one win to their name and riding a four-match losing streak, they will be determined to spring an upset against their higher-tier opponents.
This match also marks a reunion with Auckland City legend Takuya Iwata, who now lines up for Onehunga Mangere. The 42-year-old veteran, a key figure in Auckland City’s 2014 FIFA Club World Cup bronze-medal campaign, made 162 appearances for the club between 2012 and 2023.
Looking ahead to the Onehunga Mangere clash, Yoo reiterated the team’s mindset. “Yeah, obviously anotherimportnat one, it’ll be a tough game andit’s at home. So hopefully we get a good crowd and get a good result.”
MATCH DETAILS
Chatham Cup R2
Auckland City FC vs Onehunga Mangere United AFC
Saturday, 31 May2025,
Kiwitea St
KO: 2:00pm
Following their domestic commitments, Auckland City will jet off on Monday to the USA for the FIFA Club World Cup, where they will take on European powerhouse Bayern Munich (June 15), Portuguese giants SL Benfica (June 20), and Argentine heavyweights Boca Juniors (June 24) in Group C.
With two important matches ahead, the Navy Blues will look to cap off their New Zealand campaign in style before taking their talents to the global stage.
Be part of the FCWC action and get your tickets here https://goto.fifa.com/nxRf/v3zxkz7g or watch Auckland City FC at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup™, live and free by signing up to DAZN NZ
AC SQUAD: 1. Conor TRACEY (GK) 2. Mario ILICH (C) 3. Adam MITCHELL 4. Christian GRAY 5. Nikko BOXALL, 7. Myer BEVAN 8. Gerard GARRIGA 9. Angus KILKOLLY 10. Dylan MANICKUM 11. Ryan DE VRIES 12. Regont MURATI 13. Nathan LOBO 14. Jordan VALE, 15. Jeremy FOO, 16. Joe LEE 17. Jerson LAGOS 18. Areya PRASAD (GK) 19. Dylan CONNOLLY, 20. Matt ELLIS, 21. Adam BELL 22. Tong ZHOU 23. Alfie ROGERS, 24. Nathan GARROW (GK) 25. Michael DEN HEIJER, 26. David YOO, 27. Haris ZEB, 30. Jackson MANUEL, 31. Ryan ELLIS, 32. Paris DOMFEH
Head Coach: Paul Posa
Assistant Coach: Ivan Vicelich
Assistant Coach: Adria Casals
Assistant Coach: Daewook Kim
GK Coach: Jonas Hoffmann
Physiotherapist: Matt Payne
Team Manager: Keith Coton
