A-League pride on the line in AFC Cup zonal final between Macarthur and Central Coast

The all A-League AFC Cup zonal final between the Bulls and the Mariners promises to be an intense contest.

Jake Hollman (centre) and his Macarthur teammates hope to be celebrating on Thursday night. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

With A-League bragging rights on the line, Thursday night’s AFC Cup zonal final will be a “hostile” affair.

That’s the belief of Macarthur FC midfielder Jake Hollman, whose side hosts the Central Coast Mariners at Campbelltown Stadium.

The winners will not only clinch the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) section of the tournament and pocket more than $150,000 in prizemoney, but will also progress to an inter-zonal, two-leggled semi-final against Indian club Odisha.

The aggregate winners from that encounter will then contest the inter-zonal play-off final against either Kyrgyzstan club Abdysh-Ata Kant or Taiwanese outfit Taichung Futuro.

The reward for a win there is a berth in the AFC Cup final, from which the winners will earn

$2.3 million and a spot in next season’s AFC Champions League Elite competition.

Central Coast Mariners and Macarthur FC will meet an AFC Cup zonal final. Picture: Scott Gardiner/Getty Images

“It’ll make for a really hostile game because both teams know what’s on the line,” Hollman said.

“It’s very important for both clubs … and it’s just the pride aspect as well of beating our neighbours up the coast.”

Hollman said the Bulls’ AFC Cup journey – that had included trips to Cambodia, the Philippines and Myanmar – had been “hard” but “rewarding”.

“Sometimes you’re sleeping on very hard beds, you’ve got to be careful with what water goes into your mouth, what foods you eat but it’s very rewarding when you come away with the win, get to travel home and play again (in the A-League) on the weekend,” he said.

“Every player will tell you they just want to play games. I’ve been enjoying it.”

The Mariners’ journey to the zonal decider has included matches in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Originally published as A-League pride on the line in AFC Cup zonal final between Macarthur and Central Coast