Here we go again! A new season of National Premier League action gets underway with four fixtures set to sparkle across three days of action with the new faces, new kits, and high hopes across the board.
The Battle of the Big Cats is an ideal way for the season to commence, under the Friday Night Lights at the Riverside Stadium, where Tigers FC will be playing their second match of the campaign having opened the season on the Sunday preceding the fixture with a visit to Yoogali SC, when they meet Monaro Panthers.
Both teams have recruited heavily in the off-season in an attempt to improve on their fortunes from 2024, the Panthers especially as they look to return to finals football after narrowly missing the cut in the last two campaigns.
Tigers reached the Grand Final last term and were moments away from claiming the trophy only to be denied at the death by a resolute Canberra Croatia, so they will be keen to make sure their season starts on a positive note.
A day later and the focus switches to the Croatian derby at O’Connor Enclosed with the O’Connor Knights, the 2024 Australia Cup Qualifying winners, welcoming Canberra Croatia for the first ‘Cevapi Derby’ of the new season.
The Knights, under new management in the form of Nick Tither, will be out to show that their Preliminary Final loss to the Tigers was down to running out of steam as they seek to go one better than their Grand Final defeat of 2023.
To this end, they have bolstered their ranks across all three areas of the team, particularly in the front third where Michael John (Canberra Olympic), and Jenno Ceruti (Panthers) link up with Golden Boot winner Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu (Gungahlin United) who has returned from a stint in Indonesia.
Croatia haven’t been quiet in the market either, attracting both Jadric brothers, Marko, and Nikola from overseas, as well as Nicholas Subasic from Canberra Olympic as they look to defend their Grand final crown and claim yet another League Championship title.
Sunday afternoon sees the NPL debut of Queanbeyan City whose quest to join the elite ranks finally comes true when they open the doors to their High Street venue to the first visitor of the season in Yoogali SC.
Arguably, it’s fitting that Yoogali provide the test, the two locked horns in many memorable matches when the duo were in the Capital Premier League, most notably in a Grand Final at that level at the Riverside Stadium, a moment that Queanbeyan used to boost their push.
City have stuck largely to the tried and trusted that got them promoted to the NPL, adding a sprinkling of new magic here and there, as they seek to start the year with a win. Momentum might be key for the New South Wales club.
Their opponents are, of course, also from New South Wales, giving us the unique situation of a Capital Football (ACT) Premier League match between two interstate teams.
With Yoogali bringing in a trio of new players from overseas, and already having played a match in the NPL after their home game against the Tigers, will they be battle-hardened and ready to go?
Finally, the League Champions Gungahlin United travel to Kambah 2 to take on Tuggeranong United in a repeat of the opening match of the 2024 season in which the Gunners, led by a rampant Ahmed-Shaibu won 6-0, a scoreline that barely reflected the game.
Since then, the teams have changed with Gungahlin losing a few of their title-winning squad, but adding some experience in certain areas, and bringing forth some of their youth in others.
Tuggeranong have also not been resting on their laurels and appear to have recruited with the aim of making a concerted push for the top four. They have snapped up young attacking talent in ex-Gunner Romeo Jambrek, and former Tiger Alessandro Pena, as well as the creative Xabier Davies (Olympic).
United have also hit the overseas market in the addition of US import Cole Falco, keep an eye out for his devastatingly long throw-in, with Gunners also exploring that area in a bid to add depth top their roster.
All matches are screened live and free on the Capital Football YouTube channel.
FIXTURES
ROUND 1
Friday 4 April
Monaro Panthers v Tigers FC (Riverside Stadium, 19:30)
Saturday 5 April
O’Connor Knights v Canberra Croatia (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)
Sunday 6 April
Queanbeyan City v Yoogali SC (High Street, 15:00)
Tuggeranong United v Gungahlin United (Kambah 2, 15:00)
