Steve Corica will face the club where he is an icon in the 2026 A-League Grand Final when Sydney FC head across to New Zealand to face Auckland FC after a gripping penalty shootout win over Newcastle Jets on Saturday night.

Auckland will host their first ever Grand Final on Saturday 23 May, kick-off 6.10pm AEST.

For the first time in 21 seasons, not one of the top two on the A-League ladder have made it to the final match, with Mark Mililgan’s swashbuckling Australia Cup and Premiership winners stopped at the final hurdle as they aimed to make a first decider since 2018.

Piero Quispe’s 63rd minute strike at McDonald Jones Stadium looked like being the match winner until Eli Adams’ clutch equaliser six minutes into stoppage time sent it to extra-time and then penalties, where Harrison Devenish-Meares was the hero, before Ben Garuccio slotted the key winning penalty home.

It means Patrick Kisnorbo has orchestrated a seven game unbeaten run to make the final from fifth place, where he will face Corica, whom he defeated in the 2021 decider steering Melbourne City past Sydney FC.

Sydney captain Rhyan Grant said of the matchup: “If you look at the way they play, they’re resolute, hard to beat – knowing Bimbi and Bimbi knowing us, I don’t know if that will have a massive impact.

“A lot has changed – I’ve lost a bit more hair and he’s a bit greyer. But we’re still very close and I still chat to him every now and then, we exchange texts and when I see him in person..it is going to be pretty sweet to come up against a good friend and an ex-coach.

“Be tough to go over there. Always hard to play especially over there. Just another big challenge for us and one we’re looking forward to.”

On Friday evening, Auckland breezed past Adelaide United 3-0 at Coopers Stadium, to progress to their first ever grand final 4-1 on aggregate.

It is the fourth grand final as a head coach for their boss Steve Corica, who came into the week fired up over the perception that this was Adelaide’s to win.

“Everyone wrote us off, and we perform like that, 3-0, away from home, everyone performed at a very high level and we’re through to the final in a short two year period,” he beamed after the game.