Soccer: Fiji and Aussie teams will spice up contest

Roy Krishna will rejoin Waitakere for the games in Fiji. Photo / Dean Purcell.

An international flavour is set to add spice to the build-up towards this summer's domestic soccer Premiership and the O-League.

Last season's beaten A-League grand finalists Central Coast Mariners will play two games in New Zealand this month as their final preparation ahead of their opening game on October 8.

The Mariners will play the Wellington Phoenix at Mt Maunganui's Baypark Stadium on September 25 (3pm kick-off) and O-League champions Auckland City at the Croatian Club three days later.

Before that, the two Auckland premiership teams will play Fiji's top club side Rewa at Bill McKinlay Park.

The current BOG - Battle of the Giants - champions will play Auckland City under lights on September 16 and Waitakere United two days later. Rewa beat Suva 4-3 on penalties after extra time to win the BOG crown.

The week after playing Rewa in Auckland, Waitakere will fly to Fiji for a return game in Suva on September 23 and Ba, in Ba, two days later.

Roy Krishna, who plays for Labasa in the Fijian League, will rejoin Waitakere for the games in Fiji and return to Auckland with the team for the start of the new season which will open with a match between Waitakere and Auckland City at Fred Taylor Park on October 16 - a week before the Premiership kicks-off.