They contested an iconic NSL Grand Final. Almost 23 years later, South Melbourne and Sydney United meet again

Almost 23 years have passed since South Melbourne and Sydney United last met in a competitive fixture.

On Friday night, two giants of Australian football will finally renew their rivalry at Lakeside Stadium in the Australian Championship, bringing together clubs whose influence extends far beyond the silverware they have collected.

Their last encounter came on January 11, 2004, when South Melbourne recorded a 1-0 victory during the final season of the National Soccer League.

Within months, the NSL was gone, leaving two of the competition's most recognisable clubs to continue their journeys in separate state leagues.

Now the Australian Championship has brought them back together, and few fixtures carry quite the same history.

South Melbourne and Sydney United famously contested the 1999 NSL Grand Final at Melbourne's Olympic Park, where super-sub John Anastasiadis scored twice and legendary Paul Trimboli also struck in a thrilling 3-2 victory for Hellas.

That South Melbourne side was coached by Ange Postecoglou, who would go on to lead the Socceroos at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, win the AFC Asian Cup in 2015 and make history in European football with Tottenham.

But Postecoglou is just one of an extraordinary collection of football figures to have represented or coached the club.

Ferenc Puskas, one of the greatest players in football history, famously managed South Melbourne, while the likes of Alan Davidson, Mike Petersen, Mehmet Durakovic, Jimmy Armstrong, Con Boutsianis, Paul Wade, Fausto De Amicis, Vaughan Coveny and Michael Petkovic are among the names woven into the club's history.

Sydney United's contribution to Australian football is equally remarkable.

Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, current national team boss Tony Popovic and former Australia captain Mile Jedinak all emerged through the club, alongside household names Mark Bosnich, Zeljko Kalac and Robbie Slater.

From their Sydney Croatia origins to their modern identity, United have played an extraordinary role in developing players who would represent Australia on the world's biggest stages.

The history shared by these clubs is substantial, but Friday's reunion is about more than nostalgia.

South Melbourne enter as reigning Australian Championship winners and newly-crowned Australia Cup champions, having stunned A-League powerhouse Melbourne Victory to secure a historic national triumph.

They also reached the inaugural OFC Pro League final, further strengthening their standing in Australian football.

Sydney United arrive with silverware of their own after completing the 2026 NPL NSW Championship and Waratah Cup double under iconic coach Miro Vlastelica, ending a six-year wait for a league championship.

Both clubs are now competing in Group A of the Australian Championship alongside Canberra Croatia and Sutherland Sharks, with South opening their title defence with a victory over Sutherland while United claimed a bonus-point win over Canberra.

For South Melbourne, Friday will also mark a return to Lakeside Stadium following their Australia Cup success, adding another layer to an occasion already steeped in history.

More than two decades after their last meeting, two clubs that helped shape the old national competition are preparing to write another chapter in Australian football.