SD Raiders win first ever national Hahn Australia Cup match; APIA Leichhardt advance
SD Raiders secured their first ever Round of 16 qualification in the Hahn Australia Cup with a hard-fought victory over national stage debutants Rochedale Rovers.
Elsewhere, APIA Leichhardt overcame NPL QLD leaders Peninsula Power 2-1.
Read our recap of the Hahn Australia Cup Matchday One below.
APIA Leichhardt 2 – 1 Peninsula Power
APIA Leichhardt have defeated Peninsula Power 2-1 to advance to the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 16 for the sixth time in their history.
The first half was one that was dominated by APIA Leichhardt, with 10 shots to none, but it looked to be heading into the break scoreless. Up stepped Jack Stewart, who got on the end of a clever backheel from Michael Konestabo to give APIA the lead at the break.
Peninsula Power started the second half the better of the teams but it would be APIA who scored next. A free kick from Seiya Kambayashi was not cleared and fell to the feet of Sean Symons, who tucked it home from close range. It was his first goal of the season in all competitions.
The Power didn’t let up, however. Only moments later Kane Gibbs made a fantastic run on the left and slotted home a tidy finish to the back post. The visitors suddenly had the momentum and looked to take advantage.
However, it was not to be, and it was APIA who will advance to the next stage.
Rochedale Rovers 1 – 2 SD Raiders
It was a dominant night for NPL NSW clubs as SD Raiders did enough to get past debutants Rochedale Rovers.
The Rovers showed plenty of attacking intent in the first half, particularly through Josh Moreland on the left flank. They thought they took the lead early but were denied by the offside flag.
Instead, it was the Raiders who went into the break ahead. Luka Knezevic shot from outside the penalty area to put away the club’s first ever goal at the national stage of the Hahn Australia Cup.
They doubled their lead not long after half-time. Mihael Karcic put in a challenging corner that found its way all the way in via the head of a Rochdale defender.
Rochedale threw everything at finding a goal back and it came via the penalty shot. Mitchell Roberts was felled in the penalty area and Harry Talbot stepped up to convert.
However, the equaliser was not to be. The Raiders advance to the Round of 16 for the first time in their history.
Matchday One of the Round of 32 gets underway in the Hahn Australia Cup 2026 tonight as APIA Leichhardt host Peninsula Power and Rochedale Rovers host SD Raiders on their debut on the national stage.
As always, there are plenty of storylines and fantastic local football to be unearthed during one of Australia's premier football competitions.
Read our preview of the two games on Matchday One below.
APIA Leichhardt v Peninsula Power
Kick-off: 7.30pm AEST
Venue: Leichhardt Oval
Broadcast: Football Australia YouTube, 10.com.au
Tickets
It’s a Hahn Australia Cup State of Origin match to kick us off in the Round of 32, as APIA Leichhardt (NPL NSW) hosts Peninsula Power (NPL QLD).
APIA are perennial contenders in NPL NSW and currently sit second on the table, four points behind league leaders Marconi Stallions. Presley Ortiz has been on fire in the league with 12 goals so far this season and will hope to help his side advance in the cup.
At this stage last year, APIA caused a ‘Cupset’ with a 2-0 victory over Melbourne City. This is their seventh appearance in the Round of 32. They have reached the quarter-final stage twice, in 2018 and 2021.
Peninsula Power, meanwhile, currently sit on top of the NPL QLD table and will be hoping to replicate their run from 2022 where they reached the quarter-finals of the Cup. They have fallen at this stage of the competition on four previous occasions, including last year.
The club from Redcliffe will be hoping to put an exclamation point on their fantastic season so far with a deep Cup run.
Rochedale Rovers v SD Raiders
Kick-off: 7.30pm AEST
Venue: Underwood Park
Broadcast: Football Australia YouTube, 10.com.au
Tickets
It’s a Hahn Australia Cup national stage debut for Queensland’s Rochedale Rovers as they host NPL NSW side SD Raiders.
Despite struggling in the league this season the Rovers were almost perfect in qualification, only conceding one goal and defeating Caboolture Sports FC 3-0 in the quarter-final of the Kappa Cup to secure their place.
They will draw confidence from the way that they reached this stage and the support of their home crowd.
It is a second Round of 32 appearance for their opponents, SD Raiders, who were defeated by A-League Men’s side Macarthur FC on this stage twelve months ago. The Raiders are currently twelfth in the NPL. Their top goalscorer this season has been Martin Fernandez, who will hope to replicate his form from the beginning of the season on the national stage.
It will be a historic occasion for both clubs, regardless of result, and is set to showcase what both can achieve on this stage.
