Championship-winning coach Graham Arnold said Monday there are too many foreign players in Australia's A-League, warning their prevalence is hurting the national team. Arnold claimed his Central Coast Mariners, who clinched their first domestic championship title a week ago, are the only club in the A-League prioritising local talent over foreign imports. "I think all other clubs need to follow suit because it's damaging the national team," said Arnold ahead of the Mariners' home AFC Champions League match with Japan's Kashiwa Reysol on Tuesday.

Australia's Central Coast Mariners kept alive their hopes of advancing out of the group stage in the AFC Champions League with a 2-1 home win over China's Guizhou Renhe in Gosford on Wednesday. Defender Trent Sainsbury's first goal for the Mariners proved the clincher in the Group H match after the Chinese side had equalised through an own goal. The Mariners, who had won only one of 14 previous ACL games, had looked set for further heartbreak after an unfortunate own goal by goalkeeper Mat Ryan cancelled out Pedj Bojic's spectacular 50th-minute opener.