In a thrilling encounter at Kiwitea Street, Auckland City managed to secure their place in the OFC Champions League group stage by coming back from a two-goal deficit to beat Wellington Olympic by 5-3. Despite falling behind early on after a penalty from Ben Mata, Auckland managed to level the score through Liam Gillion, only to fall behind again to a goal from Hamish Watson.
As the game entered the second half, it seemed as though Olympic were in control after Watson scored his second of the game to put them two goals ahead. However, the Auckland City players refused to give up and mounted an impressive comeback, led by the experienced Emiliano Tade.
Tade, an Argentine striker who has become a legend at Auckland City, scored two quick goals to bring his team level with Olympic. Then, with just a few minutes left on the clock, Angus Kilkolly put Auckland ahead for the first time in the match, and Tade completed his hat-trick with a goal in the 87th minute to seal the victory. You can watch the highlights of the match by clicking here.
The win means that the Navy Blues will once again represent New Zealand in the OFC Champions League, a competition that they have won a record ten times. The group stage will be held in Vanuatu this May, and Auckland will be hoping to continue their impressive record in the tournament and add another trophy to their already impressive collection.
The match between Auckland City and Wellington Olympic was a thrilling contest, with both teams showing plenty of attacking intent and skill. In the end, it was Auckland City who came out on top, thanks to their never-say-die attitude and the brilliance of Emiliano Tade.
Oceania Football Center 