Adelaide United’s Youth side heads into the 2026 RAA NPLSA season with fresh faces, strong local connections, and a clear focus: closing the gap between the Club’s academy pathway and the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s environment.
New leadership, A-League standards
It’s a new era at the helm, with Paul Vanis beginning his first season in charge of the NPL program alongside Reds legend Javi López as assistant coach. Vanis’ experience as an Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s assistant coach adds a high-performance edge and a clear standard for the next generation of talent.
Image credit: Antonis Pagonis
For Vanis, the blueprint is simple: raise the intensity, sharpen the methodology, and make sure everything the Youth program does mirrors the demands of senior football.
“Bridging the gap” – Vanis’ message
Paul Vanis, Head of Youth Football said:
“For us, it’s about intensity, challenging the players technically, tactically, mentally and physically and continue to raise the standard in everything we do. Bridging the gap is the theme across the entire Youth program, and that means our training standards, principles, and behaviours are aligned with the A-League Men’s environment.
“We want our young players to experience the same expectations day-to-day, so when the opportunity comes to move into the A-League squad the step up feels natural. I’m very excited to see this new group develop and challenge for an A League opportunity.” Vanis said.
New faces and exciting storylines
There are plenty of exciting storylines to follow this season, including two young prospects arriving from Football Tasmania in Daniel Wojcik and Iluka Wootton, with both set to add quality and energy to the group.
The squad also includes strong South Australian football connections, with Kalan Alagich (younger brother of Ethan) in the mix, and Amara Toure joining the program as a cousin of the Toure brothers.
In attack, Riad Rarhidi brings momentum after finishing as the top scorer at last year’s Emerging Socceroos Championships in Melbourne, while Sajjad Ali Nasiri continues his rapid rise after coming through the Football SA pathway and earning selection in the current Joeys squad, set to travel to the Asian Cup later this year.
Injury update
On the injury front, Henry Lynch continues his ACL rehabilitation and is aiming to return to training later in the season.
Key fixtures to watch – CLICK HERE FOR FULL FIXTURES
Standout fixtures in the RAA NPLSA 2026 season include a Round One trip away to Playford, before the first home match of the season at Coopers Stadium as part of a double-header, ahead of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s match against Wellington Phoenix on Friday 6 February (4:00pm kick-off).
Another marquee Coopers Stadium fixture arrives in Round 7 on Sunday 19 April, with West Adelaide returning to Hindmarsh for a midday kick-off ahead of the A-League Men’s match against Macarthur FC. Away trips to Adelaide City in Round 3 and Campbelltown City in Round 6 will also provide early-season tests, while the final match of the season will see the Young Reds travel to face WT Birkalla away.
Pre-season recap
Pre-season provided a strong platform for the group, with Adelaide United taking on a wide variety of Football SA opposition including Sturt Lions (across multiple hit-outs), Eastern United, Cumberland United, Campbelltown City, West Adelaide, Fulham United, Adelaide Blue Eagles, and MetroStars, finishing preparations with an impressive 3–1 win away at MetroStars. Adelaide United would like to thank all Football SA clubs that welcomed the Young Reds during pre-season and played a key role in preparing the squad for the campaign ahead.
Image Credit: Sharee McNamara
RAA NPLSA 2026 | Squad List (Seniors & Reserves)
Goalkeepers: Ng Hugo (#60), Laris Cesko (#70), Ethan Cox* (#40), Max Vartuli* (#13)
Defenders: Henry Lynch (#99), Deklan Cooper-Ndambuki (#85), Jerome Scarfo (#56), Luke Hurst (#86), Mitchell Knight (#83), Keron Longhe (#93), Joel Ochieng (#92), Panashe Madanha* (#36), Sotiris Phillis* (#52), Bailey O’Neil* (#54), Vinko Stanisic* (#71), Harry Crawford* (#58), Monga Isreal* (#15), Feyzo Kasumovic* (#79), Malual Nichola* (#78)
Midfielders: Luka Blazevic (#67), Fabian Grelli (#75), Bae Versace (#48), Liam Stam (#57), Emerson Koenig (#53), Jacob David Kabazo (#73), Sajjad Ali Nasiri (#77), Kaspar Kuzman (#84), Daniel Wojcik (#63), Kalan Alagich (#88), Fabian Talladira* (#62)
Forwards: Alex Battistella (#45), Mutsa Mupandawana (#47), Ali Mohtashami (#46), Iluka Wootton (#61), Chris Irakoze (#82), Riad Rarhidi (#91), Amara Toure (#89), Jake Najdovski* (#18), Brody Burkitt* (#35), Joey Garuccio* (#65), Amlani Tatu* (#74)
*denotes ISUZU UTE A-League Players eligible to play this season
