Arch rivals Wellington Olympic and Auckland City get another chance to add to their trophy collections when they meet in this year’s Chatham Cup final.
The sides meet at Albany’s North Harbour Stadium with ideal credentials:
Auckland City, who are the current OFC Champions League title holders, recently claimed their fourth Northern League title in a row.
Wellington Olympic are the current national champions, having beaten Auckland City in the grand final of last season’s Men’s National League. They recently secured their fourth successive Central League crown.
Saturday’s cup final sets up the next stage of their rivalry, before they go after the 2024 national league title, starting in late September.
The Chatham Cup largely eluded both finalists.
Auckland City have won it once in their 20 years, in 2022.
The last time Olympic raised the trophy was in 2009.
One of them will relish adding the cup to their trophy cabinet collections after Saturday’s final.
Form
Saturday’s final will be the 10th meeting between Auckland City and Wellington Olympic.
City have won five of the past encounters, while Olympic have won twice. Two games have ended in draws.
In November 2023, Olympic beat the Navy Blues 2-0 in the grand final of the Men’s National League but in March 2024, Auckland City overcame Olympic in a two-legged play-off to go to the OFC Champions League.
In those games, the sides drew 3-3 in Wellington, and Auckland City won 1-0 at Kiwitea St.
The last time the sides met in the Chatham Cup, Auckland City got the better of Olympic 3-1 in the final.
Sharpshooters
Wellington Olympic striker Hamish Watson poses the main goal threat for his side, having scored 18 league and cup goals this season.
However, skipper Ben Mata has an outstanding record — 13 goals this year — for a defender, and is arguably the deadliest taker of penalties in the country.
Goals (league/cup)
18 — Hamish Watson (14/4)
13 — Ben Mata (8/5)
11 — Isa Prins (7/4)
9 — Gianni Bouzoukis (6/3)
Auckland City striker Angus Kilkolly could achieve the rare feat of scoring in every round of the Chatham Cup if he finds the net in Saturday’s final.
He’s scored nine goals in this year’s cup, including hat-tricks in the semi-final against Birkenhead United and the quarter-final against Otago University.
His cup form has eclipsed that in the Northern League in which he’s scored four times this season.
Goals (league/cup)
13 — Angus Kilkolly (4/9)
10 — Ryan De Vries (8/2)
6 — Regont Murati (5/1), Gerard Garriga (4/2)
*Liam Gillion has scored 10 goals (9/1) this season but has since joined A-League club Auckland FC.
Possible squads
The following squads are based on those used in the clubs’ most recent games:
Wellington Olympic
Scott Basalaj, Gabiriele Matanisiga, Justin Gulley, Jonty Roubos, Gianni Bouzoukis, Eddie Wilkinson, Jack-Henry Sinclair, Ben Mata (captain), Gavin Hoy, Chaurura Dimairo, Isa Prins, Alex Britton, Kaelin Nguyen, Joseph Hopper, William Vincent, Joel Coustrain, Luke Tongue, Hamish Watson, Theo Ettema, Samuel Mitrakas.
Auckland City
Conor Tracey, Mario Ilich (captain), Adam Mitchell, Christian Gray, Marco Lorenz, Kailan Gould, Gerard Garriga. Angus Kilkolly, Ryan De Vries, Regont Murati, Nathan Lobo, Matthew Matanyayire Luka Vicelich, Joe Lee, Jerson Lagos, Areya Prasad, Derek Tieku, Adam Bell, Tong Zho, Alfie Rogers, Michael Den Heijer, Rayan Tayeb, Stipe Ukich.
How they got to the final
Wellington Olympic
Semi-finals
Coastal Spirit 1 (Alejandro Steinwascher 13′)
Wellington Olympic 5 (Hamish Watson 18′, 80′, Jack-Henry Sinclair 53′, Isa Prins 72′ 83′)
Quarter-finals
Wellington Olympic 4 (Hamish Watson 44′, 59′, Ben Mata 51′, Kaelin Nguyen 90+3)
Manurewa 0
Fourth round
Wellington Olympic 8 (Ben Mata 2′, 36′, 40′, Isa Prins 28′, Gianni Bouzoukis 52′, 62′, 84′, Eddie Wilkinson 68′)
Stop Out 0
Third round
Wellington Olympic 5 (Joel Coustrain 3′, 18′, Ben Mata 27′ pen, Jack-Henry Sinclair 31′, Isa Prins 49′)
Western Suburbs 0
Second round
Wellington Olympic 4 (Kaelin Nguyen 10′, 21′, Joel Coustrain 49′, Oliver Davies 90+4′)
Seatoun 0
First round
Bye
Auckland City
Semi-finals
Auckland City 4 (Angus Kilkolly 44′ pen, 98′, 120+3′, Ryan De Vries 56′)
Birkenhead United 2 (Monty Patterson 37′, Sam Philip 69′)
*After extra time
Quarter-finals
Otago University 1 (Liam Buyck 45+2′)
Auckland City 5 (Angus Kilkolly 34′, 51′, 87′, Derek Tieku 41′, own goal 89′)
Fourth round
Cambridge 1 (Josh Clarkin 38′)
Auckland City 4 (Gerard Garriga 35′, Christian Gray 45′, Angus Kilkolly 53′, Regont Murati 80′)
Third round
Auckland City 2 (Liam Gillion 15′, Angus Kilkolly 53′)
Hamilton Wanderers 1 (Luke Brooke-Smith 63′)
Second round
Auckland City 5 (Cam Howieson 8′ pen, 67′, Gerard Garriga 12′, Ryan De Vries 58′, Angus Kilkolly 90′)
Metro 0
First round
Bye
Fixture
Game to be played on Saturday September 7, 2024
Final
Wellington Olympic v Auckland City
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, 7pm
Past rounds
RESULTS: Quarter-finals of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>
RESULTS: Fourth round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>
RESULTS: Third round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>
RESULTS: Second round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>
RESULTS: First round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>
RESULTS: Preliminary round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>
The Chatham Cup … donated by the crew of the HMS Chatham in 1922.
READ MORE: History of the Chatham Cup >>>>
All the past winners — Chatham Cup
1923 – Seacliff (Otago)
1924 – Harbour Board (Auckland)
1925 – YMCA (Wellington)
1926 – Sunnyside (Canterbury)
1927 – Ponsonby (Auckland)
1928 – Petone (Wellington)
1929 – Tramways (Auckland)
1930 – Petone (Wellington)
1931 – Tramurewa (Auckland)
1932 – Wellington Marist (Wellington)
1933 – Ponsonby (Auckland)
1934 – Thistle (Auckland)
1935 – Hospital (Wellington)
1936 – Western (Canterbury)
1937 – competition cancelled due to lack of entries
1938 – Waterside (Wellington)
1939 – Waterside (Wellington)
1940 – Waterside (Wellington)
1941-44 – no competition due to World War II
1945 – Western (Christchurch)
1946 – Wellington Marist (Wellington)
1947 – Waterside (Wellington)
1948 – Christchurch Technical Old Boys
1949 – Petone (Wellington)
1950 – Eden (Auckland)
1951 – Eastern Suburbs (Auckland)
1952 – North Shore United and Western (Canterbury)(shared)
1953 – Eastern Suburbs (Auckland)
1954 – Onehunga (Auckland)
1955 – Western (Canterbury)
1956 – Stop Out (Wellington)
1957 – Seatoun (Wellington)
1958 – Seatoun (Wellington)
1959 – Northern (Dunedin)
1960 – North Shore United (Auckland)
1961 – Northern (Dunedin)
1962 – Hamilton Technical Old Boys (Waikato)
1963 – North Shore United (Auckland)
1964 – Mount Roskill (Auckland)
1965 – Eastern Suburbs (Auckland)
1966 – Miramar Rangers (Wellington)
1967 – North Shore United (Auckland)
1968 – Eastern Suburbs (Auckland)
1969 – Eastern Suburbs (Auckland)
1970 – Blockhouse Bay (Auckland)
1971 – Western Suburbs (Wellington)
1972 – Christchurch United (Canterbury)
1973 – Mount Wellington (Auckland)
1974 – Christchurch United (Canterbury)
1975 – Christchurch United (Canterbury)
1976 – Christchurch United (Canterbury)
1977 – Nelson United (Marlborough)
1978 – Manurewa (Auckland)
1979 – North Shore United (Auckland)
1980 – Mount Wellington (Auckland)
1981 – Dunedin City (Otago)
1982 – Mount Wellington (Auckland)
1983 – Mount Wellington (Auckland)
1984 – Manurewa (Auckland)
1985 – Napier City Rovers (Hawkes Bay)
1986 – North Shore United (Auckland)
1987 – Gisborne City (Poverty Bay)
1988 – Waikato United (Waikato)
1989 – Christchurch United (Canterbury)
1990 – Mount Wellington (Auckland)
1991 – Christchurch United (Canterbury)
1992 – Miramar Rangers (Wellington)
1993 – Napier City Rovers (Hawkes Bay)
1994 – Waitakere City (Auckland)
1995 – Waitakere City (Auckland)
1996 – Waitakere City (Auckland)
1997 – Central United (Auckland)
1998 – Central United (Auckland)
1999 – Dunedin Technical (Otago)
2000 – Napier City Rovers (Hawkes Bay)
2001 – University-Mount Wellington (Auckland)
2002 – Napier City Rovers (Hawkes Bay)
2003 – University-Mount Wellington (Auckland)
2004 – Miramar Rangers (Wellington)
2005 – Central United (Auckland)
2006 – Western Suburbs (Wellington)
2007 – Central United (Auckland)
2008 – East Coast Bays (Auckland)
2009 – Wellington Olympic (Wellington)
2010 – Miramar Rangers (Wellington)
2011 – Wairarapa United (Masterton)
2012 – Central United (Auckland)
2013 – Cashmere Technical (Canterbury)
2014 – Cashmere Technical (Canterbury)
2015 – Eastern Suburbs (Auckland)
2016 – Birkenhead United (Auckland)
2017 – Onehunga Sports (Auckland)
2018 – Birkenhead United (Auckland)
2019 – Napier City Rovers (Hawkes Bay)
2020 – cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 – Cashmere Technical (Canterbury)
2022 – Auckland City (Auckland)
2023 – Christchurch United (Canterbury)
This story was first published on September 6, 2024
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