Wellington Olympic are the football champions of New Zealand.
They secured a 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Auckland City FC in the men’s National League Championship final held at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.
The closely contested match saw both teams engage in a tactical battle, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until Wellington Olympic broke the deadlock after halftime.
England forward Kalian Gould made a decisive impact, scoring the first goal in the 57th minute, capitalizing on a well-placed cross from Joel Stevens.
Wellington secured the result four minutes into added time when Jack-Henry Sinclair sealed the deal, capitalizing on the home team’s commitment to attacking play.
This victory served as sweet revenge for Wellington Olympic, as the same two teams had faced off in last year’s inaugural National League final, with Auckland City FC emerging victorious with a 3-2 scoreline.
Looking ahead, these rivals are set to clash once again in a home-and-away playoff scheduled for March. The outcome of this playoff will determine which team advances to the group stage of the 2024 Oceania Champions League.
