Auckland City FC host Team Wellington at Kiwitea St on Sunday, a fixture always loaded with rivalry and intensity, in a game that doubles as a regular 2020/21 ISPS Handa Men’s Premiership match and the Charity Cup match.

Six-time winners Auckland City have contested the Cup every year since 2011, when it was reinstated to be played for by the previous season’s national league winners and best performing New Zealand side in the OFC Champions League.

Two-time winners Team Wellington were the last side to wrestle the Cup from the Aucklanders’ grip, back in 2017, with man at the helm of the Wellingtonians that season the current Auckland City FC head coach José Figuiera.

 “There's a real big, healthy rivalry between the two teams,” he says.

 “Looking back at recent games, they're always full of action and surprises. Like any game, we’re being really thorough with the way that we prepare - we know that we've got to be at our best in all moments of the game.

“Ultimately staff and players relish playing in these big games.”

But while familiarity, as well as the fact that this weekend’s game is a first vs second match up, adds a bit of spice to this fixture, it won’t make a difference to the approach come match day says Team Wellington head coach Scott Hales.

“It doesn't make any difference. We’ve got one aim in mind and that is to beat Auckland City at the weekend and we'll go out and do our best to do that. Whether we’re familiar or we're friends, that all goes out the window once we arrive at Kiwitea St.”

“Over the last five or six years, only Team Wellington and Auckland City have taken the Charity Cup home.

“It's a game that we're looking forward to because there is silverware on the line – it just adds an extra bite to it.”

If the game finishes level at the end of regulation time, a penalty shootout will determine the Charity Cup winner.

This year’s Charity Cup recipient is Butterfly Trust, which supports Indigenous initiatives in health and education, primarily in Vanuatu.

When? Saturday 7 February, 3.45 pm kick off (please note this differs from what was previously advertised)

Where? Kiwitea St, Auckland

What happened last time? When Auckland City FC and Team Wellington met in Matchweek 4, . In Charity Cup terms, Auckland City FC are the current holders, having defeated 2-0 Eastern Suburbs in the 2019/20 season edition of the Cup.

Squads as at Friday 5 February

Auckland City FC

2 Mario ILICH 3 Adam MITCHELL 4 Mario BILEN 6 Brian KALTACK VAN 7 Cameron HOWIESON C 8 Albert RIERA 9 Kayne VINCENT 12 Samuel BROTHERTON 13 Dré VOLLENHOVEN RSA 14 Jordan VALE 16 Yousif AL-KALISY 17 Andrew BLAKE 18 Conor TRACEY GK 19 Logan ROGERSON 22 Mohamed AWAD 24 Cameron BROWN GK

Team Wellington

1 Scott BASALAJ GK C 2 Justin GULLEY 4 Taylor SCHRIJVERS 5 Ollie WHYTE 6 Scott MIDGLEY 7 Joao MOREIRA 8 Samuel MASON-SMITH 9 Hamish WATSON 11 Mario BARCIA 12 Andrew BEVIN 14 Jack-Henry SINCLAIR 15 Jake WILLIAMS 16 Ben MATA 18 Kailan GOULD 19 Haris ZEB 20 Wan GATKEK 22 Zac JONES GK 23 Rory MCKEOWN

Officials

Referee: Matthew CONGER Assistant referee 1: Mark RULE Assistant referee 2: Gareth SHEEHAN 4th official: Luke GARDNER

Watch LIVE on Sky Sport 7

Article added: Friday 05 February 2021