Get ready to kick off your football season with a bang because the Nations Cup is back and better than ever!

This highly-anticipated tournament brings together players from around the world representing their parental roots, creating a mini World Cup like no other.

With 16 fiercely competitive teams battling it out on the field, the pressure is on to secure a spot in the prestigious round of 8. And let’s not forget, this isn’t some amateur backyard game – back in the glory days of the 80s, the Nations Cup was the talk of the town with fans and sponsors vying for a chance to be a part of the action.

In fact The 1984 final match was so epic that it was hosted at the iconic Olympic Park!

This year, the stakes are higher and the competition is fiercer as all matches will take place at the Egan Lee Reserve in Knox City.

So grab your jerseys and flags, football fans, because it’s going to be six weeks of intense and mind-blowing action that you won’t want to miss.

The vice president of the Greek community, Michael Karamitos, seemed excited for the start of the tournament.

“This is the third year running that we as a community have participated in this tournament representing Greece and it is one of the events that we look forward to every year. It gives us the opportunity as a community to engage with our youth. I encourage as many people as possible to come and support our team over the duration of the tournament.”

This is going to be A fierce competition between 16 teams is underway, with an eclectic mix of countries like Eritrea, Cyprus, Turkey, Mauritius, Serbia, and of course, Greece, all vying for the ultimate prize.

The first round kicks off on Saturday, October 12th and the group phase ends on October 27th.

Keep an eye on the top two teams from each group as they move on to the quarter-finals.

The Greek team that took part in the 2022 tournament. Photo: Nations Cup/ Supplied

The four groups:

Group A

Greece

Albania

Burundi

Sudan

Group B

South Sudan

North Macedonia

Cyprus

Iraq

Group C

Australia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Zimbabwe

Ethiopia

Group 4

Eritrea

Turkey

Mauritius

Serbia

Michael Karamitos, the vice-president of the Greek community, expressed excitement for the upcoming 2024 edition of the nations cup. Photo: Neos Kosmos

First Round

Saturday, October 12

Eritrea – Mauritius 11am

North Macedonia – Iraq 12.30pm

Cyprus – South Sudan 2 pm

Turkey – Serbia 3.30pm

Sunday, October 13

Burundi – Sudan 11am

Australia – Bosnia and Herzegovina 12.30pm

Greece – Albania 2 pm

Zimbabwe – Ethiopia 3.30pm