The long wait for PlayStation® 4 NPL Capital Football comes to an end on Saturday as the ten clubs dust off the cobwebs and take to the field for the first time in anger with five matches across the nation's capital.
The first fixture of the eagerly anticipated calendar is at the Australian Institute of Sport where the FFA COE clash with Tuggeranong United. It has been well documented that Tuggeranong failed to gain a single point in 2015 but an opening day match-up with the new intake of FFA COE hopefuls could be just what the club needs under the direction of new Head Coach Miro Trninic.
Trninic welcomes a brace of signings from Greece into his squad and he will be hoping that lively forward Nikolaos Kalfas and midfielder Emilio Rista can continue on the good form that they have shown in pre-season. Kalfas has been amongst the goals and will likely become a firm crowd favourite while Rista has shown some neat touches and good distribution.
The FFA COE group are a new batch and have played a couple of friendly games against the CU Academy sides winning 7-4 against the U17 team and, remarkably, 8-5 against the NPL squad. They certainly appear well-equipped to score goals but can they keep them out at the other end?
Action will then switch to McKellar Pak for the early evening encounter between Belconnen United and the CU Academy. The Blue Devils will be anxious to start the season with three points at home to the Premier League newcomers whilst Pat McCann’s young charges will be out to prove a point as well, a combination that should make for an entertaining match.
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Round 1
Saturday 2nd April
FFA COE v Tuggeranong United (AIS, 2pm)
Belconnen United v CU Academy (McKellar Park, 5.30pm)
Sunday 3rd April
Canberra Olympic v Gungahlin United (O’Connor Enclosed, 3pm)
Canberra FC v Monaro Panthers (Deakin Stadium, 3pm)
Tigers FC v Woden-Weston FC (Nijong Oval, 3pm)