From the Chatham Cup to Saudi Arabia: Isa Prins' rapid Auckland FC rise
Isa Prins was playing in the Chatham Cup with Wellington Olympic a year ago.
Now, he has an OFC Pro League title to his name and is heading out to Saudi Arabia with Auckland FC to play in the Fifa Intercontinental Cup.
Despite his rapid rise through the ranks, the 21-year-old midfielder wasn’t too concerned about reflecting on what has already happened.
“I think most of the time I just want to keep looking forward and what’s to come next for myself.
“If I put myself back into that place where I was a couple of years ago, I think it’s great to get to the point where I am now.
“But I just want to see how far I can go.”
Prins helped Wellington Olympic win their second consecutive Chatham Cup final in 2025. Photo / Photosport
A Prins goal in the 2025 Chatham Cup final helped lift Wellington Olympic to a 4-2 win over Auckland United, securing back-to-back championships for the club and him.
A move to Auckland FC saw him net three goals during the team’s championship-winning OFC Pro League campaign, which was enough to see him promoted to the A-League squad alongside Bailey Ferguson and Van Fitzharris, with new coach Pedro Moreira confident his younger players will have plenty of involvement this season.
“It will be very important with the kids that we have, the new players that we have, the young players who develop inside of this kind of situation,” Moreira said.
“It’s one of our main goals also for the club and for this coaching staff to prepare the young players to be ready to achieve the high level in Auckland FC.”
Prins was complimentary of how the Portuguese coach has helped bring him up to speed with the rest of the squad.
“He’s really good. I’ve had a good chat with him, I think everyone’s had it, he’s had a chat with everyone.
“I think that’s the best thing that a new coach could do.
“I think it’s great, we had a good chat. I really look forward to learning from him.”
Auckland FC will play Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli in Jeddah in the first round of the Fifa Intercontinental Cup on August 27 at 6am NZT, with Prins already picking the player he’s keen to face.
“Probably Ivan Toney. He’ll be the main one.”
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