Yoogali FC ready to confront initial challenge in the Pascoe Cup

Four years of hard work off the field saw the club finally accepted into the Football Wagga competition and that dedication sees a side keen to prove they are worthy of being in the competition from the jump according to coach Ross Marando.

"The game is finally here. It's been four years of hard work, so it's exciting for it to finally be here," he said.

"The boys are keen to get out there and show what we can do. We will have a couple out with an ex-player's wedding on Saturday, so we will have a few away, but we still have a strong squad, so we should be in good shape.

"Even with the girls, they have put so much work in, and it's exciting for them to get back to the full field and 11 a-side game. As a club, we are completely ready for the challenge."

There is a downside to the early stage of the year, with pivotal midfielder Joseph Poli set to miss the entire season after an injury picked up during Yoogali FC's Riverina Cup clash against Wagga City Wanderers.

"The surgery went well, and he is back on his feet, which is good, but he won't get back on the field this year," he said.

"It's a tough thing to go though and we don't want to risk anything. It's a shame because he looked like he was ready to go and would have been a vocal part of the team.

"He is helping out behind the scenes, so he is still a part of the team in a way, which is good."

Taking on Lake Albert at Rawlings Park 4 will see Yoogali FC start their era in the Pascoe Cup against one of the form sides in the competition. While they won't know too much about their opposition, their opponents won't have much to go on about them either.

"Not too sure what to expect, but we know it is going to be a tough match up, and we are excited to test ourselves straight away," he said.

"They won't know much about us, obviously we have had a couple of trials and cup games but we never really had a full strength squad."

Meanwhile, at Hanwood Oval, Gabriel Abdala's reign at Hanwood will get underway with a clash against Wagga United on Sunday afternoon.