For Joel King and Zac De Jesus, they have grown up in the Illawarra region and attended many matches at WIN Stadium. This weekend, they will take to the seaside turf for Sydney FC as they welcome the Central Coast Mariners in the Australia Cup Round of 32.
King has returned to Sydney FC after a spell in Denmark and is set to make his first appearance back in Sky Blue after signing a new three year deal. Returning to a stadium he knows so well, he is excited about playing in front of family and friends.
“It’s always special playing here in Wollongong.
“Obviously I have a lot of family here and when I was younger I used to come out and watch various sporting events here,” King said.
“It’s very special to play here and play in front of the family and of course our fan base here in Wollongong.”
For 17-year-old Zac De Jesus, he is pumped up for potentially making his first senior appearance after making numerous for the Sydney FC Academy over the last season.
“I’m really excited because I get to maybe make my debut in front of my family and friends and I just want to make them proud,” De Jesus said.
“I’m really excited to be part of this team and to play on Sunday in Wollongong will be even more special.”
Left back Joel King has made over 80 appearances for Sydney FC and he is expecting a tough challenge from the Isuzu UTE A-League champions.
“They [Central Coast Mariners] work very hard and Nick Montgomery has them playing very good football and obviously they are A-League champions so it is going to be tough.
“I think with the squad that we have, we can be confident in our own players and I think we will get the job done,” the 22 year old added.
“We’ve got a few fresh faces in the squad and a lot of young boys who are showing a lot of promise. They’ve been training very well and in our friendly matches, they have been playing well so I am excited for you to see how good they are.”
Tickets are on sale now for this festival of football which includes the NPL NSW match between Wollongong Wolves and Sydney Olympic which will follow the conclusion of the Australia Cup clash.
Match Details
Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners
Australia Cup Round of 32
Sunday 13th August 2023
WIN Stadium, Wollongong, NSW
Kick Off: 3pm AEST
Gates Open: 2:30pm AEST
Broadcast Live: 10Play
Tickets: Click Here
Wollongong Wolves v Sydney Olympic
NPL NSW Round 28
Sunday 13th August 2023
WIN Stadium, Wollongong, NSW
Kick Off: 5:45pm AEST
Gates Open: 2:30pm AEST
Broadcast Live: NPL.TV
Tickets: Click Here
