Reigning cup winners Canberra Croatia take on Grand Final victors Tigers FC this Saturday at McKellar Park, with both sides seeking a trophy, but perhaps more crucially, a spot in the Round of 32 of the Australia Cup.
It’s a matchup that will see two powerhouses of Canberra football go head-to-head, having combined claimed four of the last five trophies up for grabs since the start of 2025, with Croatia securing the last cup and league titles, and Tigers claiming Charity Shield and Grand Final success.
A 2-1 Charity Shield victory for Ali Efe’s side at the beginning of 2026 did plenty to obscure Tigers fans’ memories of a 2024 Grand Final classic at Deakin Stadium, where Daniel Barac’s 94th-minute penalty took the game to extra time, and Daniel Colbertaldo’s 108th-minute goal secured an unforgettable evening for Croatia.
Again this year, the two are set on standing out from their competition, with both sides at the peak of the NPL Men’s standings after 11 rounds.
Croatia sit top, and with a game in-hand on second-placed Tigers, who remain three points behind.
Since losing the opening match of the season Dean Ugrinic’s side have bounced back by achieving 11 straight wins in all competitions, including a 2-1 home win against Saturday’s opponents.
Having lost the likes of NPL Men’s top scorer Nick Pratezina and 15-goal Maxx Green, it is the unlikely figure of Shandon Whitehead who has stepped up most on the goals front, as Croatia’s retained Australian Championship signing sits on 10 goals in 2026, five ahead of Thomas James’ tally.
The Deakin-based side were Australia Cup Qualifying Final victors in 2025, relying on a 120th-minute strike from Green to see off Queanbeyan City, and add to a competition-best 19 cup captures, and a third since the rebrand in 2013.
A Round of 32 exit at home to South Australia’s Metro Stars in 2025 however, saw Croatia remain without an appearance in the final 16 of the nation’s cup competition, having fallen to Mount Druitt Town Rangers and Broadmeadow Magic in 2023 and 2018 respectively.
Croatia’s road to the final in 2026 saw victories against Brindabella Blues and Canberra White Eagles set up a semi-final away to Queanbeyan City, where two extra-time strikes from top-scorers James and Whitehead combined to pave their way to the final.
Ali Efe’s Tigers on the other hand, passed tasks against Belconnen United and ANU FC, before travelling to Grand Final opponents Monaro Panthers, where the away side claimed an impressive 3-1 success, thanks to goals from Noah Steinacker, Sam Whithear and Eunwoo Choi.
Despite disappointing defeats to Croatia, Canberra Juventus and Tuggeranong United, the reigning champions have started 2026 well, and already have a Charity Shield under their belt heading into the final.
Since the Round 6 Tuggeranong match, Tigers have put a run of six wins on the bounce together, scoring at least three goals in five of those matches, including a recent 7-0 drubbing of Brindabella Blues.
New signing Aidan Milicevic has proven to be a key addition to an already stacked Tigers outfit, scoring 13 league goals already from midfield, while imports David Owusu, Eunwoo Choi and Spencer Barber have combined to contribute 12 to the club’s tally in 2026.
A semi-final defeat in 2025 saw the side in orange fall to Queanbeyan City 5-3 on penalties, following a 2-2 scoreline after extra-time.
Football fans will be more than familiar with Tigers FC in this competition, with the former Cooma-based side appearing in four finals since 2013, two of which have ended in victories and qualification for the final 32.
After defeats in 2013 and 2016, first Gaby Wilk’s and then Ryan Grogan’s outfits went back-to-back, winning in 2019 against Croatia on penalties after a 0-0 stalemate, before defeating Monaro Panthers in 2021 5-2.
A 2-0 loss to Hume City in 2019, followed by a 3-0 loss to APIA Leichardt in 2021 means that Tigers have still yet to score, and progress further on the national stage, a statistic that, similar to Croatia, will undoubtedly provide ammunition for the club to make their mark in 2026.
Gates open: 11:30 am
Kickoff: 3:30 pm
Watch live on YouTube.
