The O'Connor Knights are confident they can shock the Australia Cup and continue a fairytale journey out of the Canberra minor leagues to confirm their status as the capital's stars.
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The Knights will play A-League Men's team the Macarthur Bulls in the Australia Cup round of 32 at Canberra Stadium on Tuesday night and the club hopes the crowd numbers will jump into the thousands.
For a side that spent over a decade in the NPL ACT's second division, this will be their biggest-ever match as it is the first time they will play a professional team.
This season, the Knights have won more trophies than in the last sixteen years, including capital football's Australia Cup preliminary final that saw them qualify for the Australia Cup round of 32.
When they found out they would play the 2022 Australia Cup Champions Macarthur in the round of 32, captain and top goal-scorer Micheal Adams said his team was buzzing knowing they will play at Canberra Stadium.
"The club has been on a journey for a long time. So, it felt like all the hard work that was put in, everything that you've worked for, the triumph all came to fruition," Adams said.
"We are going to make the club proud, and we are also going to make Canberra proud. It's the next level and we're looking forward to it."
But how did they get here?
Before 2024, the Knights had won three trophies in 27 years, the Croatian Cup in 2004, the FFA Cup Preliminary ACT tournament in 2008 and promotion to the NPL ACT in 2021.
The Knights made their maiden Australia Cup round of 32 tie by beating Canberra Olympic and Queanbeyan City in the second and third rounds of the competition.
They then defeated top of NPL ACT table Gungahlin 3-1, setting up a date with the Monaro Panthers in their first preliminary Australia Cup final.
Prior to this, they had already won their first silverware of the season after claiming their maiden Charity Shield in April, defeating their long-time Croatian rivals Canberra Croatia 2-0.
Adams scored against Canberra Croatia and said beating their rivals to claim their first trophy since 2008 outside of an NPL competition was special.
"It was even better that we beat our rivals Canberra Croatia at their home ground," Adams said.
"The final was incredible, and it was an amazing moment."
Knights assistant coach Nick Tither was hopeful the team's form could transfer on to a bigger stage. The club has traded its humble surrounds at O'Connor Enclosed - which boasts a canteen, old change rooms and some bleachers - for the biggest rectangular venue in Canberra.
The club explored other smaller options, but Canberra Stadium suited the needs best, and fans will be seated on one side to help create an atmosphere.
"We went through a bit of a purple patch a couple of weeks ago. We weren't getting the results, but thankfully we've got a couple of wins on the bounce now," Tither said.
"So it's about making sure we turn up and perform well, so that's what the lads have been focused on."
AUSTRALIA CUP ROUND OF 32
Tuesday: O'Connor Knights v Macarthur Bulls, Canberra Stadium, 7.30pm