John van ’t Schip indicated on Tuesday that the 36-year-old would make his City debut in the Round of 16 clash at Perry Park, with his international clearance now confirmed.

Perry Park’s capacity is 5000, meaning tickets for Cahill’s highly anticipated debut will be at a premium, with the Strikers encouraging fans to pre-purchase to avoid disappointment and queues.

On the pitch, Aherne-Evans said anything was possible, buoyed by fellow Queensland NPL club Redlands United’s upset win over A-League champions Adelaide United in the Round of 32.

The Strikers coach was anticipating a full-strength City and despite the external focus on Cahill, said his side would be wary of the big-spending club’s many threats.

“If you go into the game and focus on one person - I understand all the hype about it - but you can quickly turn your focus off some of the key other players they have,” Aherne-Evans told FourFourTwo.

“We all know about Luke Brattan’s ability to influence a game, Neil Kilkenny is a terrific professional, Anthony Caceres as well.

“Bruno Fornaroli doesn’t have that same aerial prowess as Cahill, he’s more technical in and around his feet, where he’s looking to roll centre-backs with some clever turns, we all know how much of a sharp shooter he is in front of goal.

“We’re up against a top outfit, if you make the error of focusing on one player you can be susceptible in other areas.

“We’re very mindful we’re going to go long periods without the ball. Defensively we’ve been outstanding this year. It’ll be a real test for us defensively. This is what the FFA Cup is all about.”

The Strikers reached the FFA Cup last 16 in 2014, and bowed out in the Round of 32 last year, yet the club has never played a fixture in the competition at home nor against A-League opposition.

Aherne-Evans said getting the opportunity to host their first FFA Cup game in such a significant occasion for Australian football was reward for the former NSL champions.

“To get one at home and have an A-League opposition is great reward for the club and the commitment they’ve shown to the player group over the last couple of years,” he said.

“There’s a financial reward and when you add to that Tim Cahill’s involvement as well, all of a sudden everything gets hyped up and it’s a great opportunity for the club to expose itself in the national scene.

“It’s a huge opportunity for our players to go out and enjoy the occasion and see how it works out at the end of the game.”

Aherne-Evans, who hails from Wales, highlighted 18-year-old centre-back Jake Marshall and Japanese left-back Hiroki Omuri as players receiving A-League interest and worth watching.

The pair will have their hands full up against Cahill and A-League Golden Boot winner Fornaroli.

Despite the obvious challenges and City’s clear ambition, Aherne-Evans was dreaming of a fairy tale.

“You listen to how aggressive van ’t Schip is in his interviews about how focused they are on getting silverware at City,” he said.

“Bottom line is it’s another game of football, anything can happen.

“Is there going to be a fairy tale story? Which one of our players can step up and make a name for themselves?”