During his 11-season career in Cyprus, Moustakas had a glittering playing career. He won a Cypriot First Division title, lifted two domestic Cups, played in the Champions League with Limassol and spent some time with Cyprus' youth and senior national teams.

Now aged 34 and in the twilight of his career he gave his underdog team - Bankstown Berries - their second famous FFA Cup victory in a row and put his name in the national spotlight.

In the previous round of the FFA Cup, the Berries upset former NSL powerhouse Sydney Olympic and in the Round of 32 their giant killing feats continued when they beat the South Australian Metro Stars 2-1.

Looking ahead to the Round of 16 draw, Moustakas is hopeful that the Berries can produce more FFA Cup magic.

"We are the lowest ranked team in the competition but this is what Cups are all about – the underdogs seem to always find that strength," he says.

"We enjoyed the moment but now we look forward. It's something I've told my boys from the first game - that we're not going to be looking further than the next training session and we're not going to be looking further than the next game.
"When the FFA Cup draw comes around again we will enjoy the moment but we still have a big job to do."

When the NSL came to an end in 2004, Moustakas found himself with no top-flight competition in Australia. His career was at a crossroads so he decided to pack his bags and try his luck in the land of his heritage.

"My parents are both from Cyprus," he says.

"My dad is from Limassol and my mum is from Paphos. My dad came over in the 1960s and my mum in the 1980s. I was born here and lived most of my life here.
"I was lucky enough to spend 11 fantastic years in Cyprus playing in the First Division and I'm pretty happy with that. When I moved over, I went and trialled for a few clubs and there was a little interest. Then out of nowhere my phone rang and it was the boss of Limassol, which is one of the biggest clubs in Cyprus. He told me to come down for a trial. I went down for a day and the day after I signed a contract and the day after that I was in Germany for pre-season. So it all happened pretty quickly."

Moustakas spent most of the 2004/2005 campaign doing his military service, so he didn't feature in many games but the following year was a breakthrough.

"I was lucky enough to win the league that season and we were the only team in Europe who were undefeated - which was pretty surreal," he says.

"It felt a little bit numb. We had a very long season. Even though we were undefeated we still had to win the last game of the season to be league champions. We were losing that game 1-0 but we came back and we won 3-1. The game finished and the fans invaded the field. At the time it was more of a relief than anything. But looking back on it now, it was pure joy and I was very happy to be part of it."

In recent times Aussies such as James Demetriou and Jacob Eliopoulos have had short playing stints in Cyprus, while this season Socceroo Tommy Oar signed for Champions APOEL.

Moustakas revealed that in his second season with Limassol he crossed paths with one of Australia's greatest ever players.

"My first ever professional goal was against APOEL and it was off a corner that Paul Okon was marking me on," he says.

"Just before the corner I said to him, 'Paul, I'm Australian as well and it is an absolute honour to be playing here with you' and then I scored. It was an awesome feeling but Paul Okon wasn't there for long in Cyprus. When I spoke to [his fellow players it was obvious] he absolutely left a mark there with his professionalism. I wished he'd been there longer so that I could've seen a bit more of him."

Pericles Moustakas

Moustakas' displays soon caught the attention of the Cypriot national team selectors and he says being selected to be part of both the youth and senior teams was a great honour.

"I was only 20 years old when I went over and I played for the Cyprus U21 national team," he says.

"To make the U21 squad in such a short amount of time was a great feeling. I got to play friendly games against Ireland and France and there were some big names there. It's something that I will never forget.
"More so with the senior national team because I also got called up a couple of times and I was involved in some unofficial games and that was definitely a great feeling. There is nothing better than putting on the national jersey. I was really proud."

After winning the league with Limassol, Moustakas played with Europe's elite, and despite the experience being short-lived it was another huge experience.

"The next year we played in the Champions League qualifying rounds but we didn't do well," reveals the 34-year-old.

"We lost to Cork City from Ireland. They had already played 12 games that season and we had only played three friendly games. We competed with them for most of the game but in those last 20 minutes they were just too strong and too fit for us. We lost both games in the last 20 minutes. But it doesn't matter, because I still got the opportunity and I am grateful for it."

Moustakas spent five seasons with Limassol and then spent the next six years playing for various other Cypriot first division teams and after 11 seasons headed back home. However, the choice to return was not of his own making.

"The financial crisis over there made it difficult to continue," he says.

"I left when I was club captain of Nea Salamina and I had just made it back into Cyprus' national team. I went from being paid to being a couple of months behind and sometimes up to six months behind in payments. So, it became very difficult to survive. Unfortunately, we had to make a decision. I had a young family so it was hard to walk away from that."

After returning to Australia, Moustakas planted the seeds of his coaching career and at the invitation of the Cypriot Federation completed his UEFA B licence and is in the process of finishing his A licence. But for the moment his focus is on the mouth-watering prospect of playing an A-League team in the FFA Cup Round of 16.

"I definitely want to be a coach," says Moustakas.

"I want to be in a professional environment again as a coach or an assistant but my only interest now is Bankstown Berries.
"Every player wants to test themselves against an elite player. On a personal note, I have played all my football abroad, and I would love to play against an A-League team – just so I can mix it with them just once. That would be great because I've never had that opportunity in Australia."

Perry Moustakas: from big time to small time and back again | Neos Kosmos

South harnessed all its reserves to register a 1-0 home win over Edgeworth Eagles allowing the Victorian NPL side to reach the FFA Cup Round of 16 after three attempts.

Throughout the match the Northern NSW NPL side didn't allow the home team to play their usual brand of football, and more than matched their opponents. With the scores deadlocked after 94 minutes, South's goal scoring machine Milos Lujic headed home the winning goal from a corner to send the South fans into extra time delirium.

The build-up of the game saw South Melbourne feature prominently on Fox Sports coverage and Lujic says the team felt the pressure of an expected victory.

"Maybe there were some nerves at the start," revealed the 27-year-old. "Edgeworth's intensity was fantastic from the beginning but we knew they couldn't last at that pace for 90 minutes. We completely dominated the second half and deserved the win at the end."

South Melbourne A-League chairman Bill Papastergiadis also echoed Lujic's admission that the club were under enormous strain to make it past the Round of 32 after failing in their previous three attempts.

"For us that match was vitally important and progressing to the Round of 16 was do or die for us," he says. "That's a big first for us and secondly it was a major opportunity to showcase the stadium, the social club, facilities and our support base on national television.
"The club has enormous fighting spirit all the way from the senior coach through to our Under-sevens. All the teams are performing well in the NPL and in the juniors, all the way through to our seniors and the pressure was significant and extraordinary on the players and the coach to get the right result. They performed admirably and showed good resolve, good sportsmanship and got the result when it was required."

The A-League aspirants now head into their Round-of-16 FFA Cup clash looking to beat Western Australia's Sorrento FC but Lujic admitted the players are aware the club is also aiming to win hearts and minds.

"It's no secret how much the FFA Cup means to the club," he says.

"I'm glad we could get over the line and we hope the club can get even more exposure now. It felt great to score in such a big match for the club in the 90th minute as well. I'm just glad I could score for all the fans who were great on the night.
"It shows the winning mentality of the playing group. Since I have been at the club we have won so many games when our backs have been against the wall and it's a credit to the coaching staff and the players to have high expectations of each other and to not accept a defeat without giving our all for the fans and the club."

The late win over Edgeworth follows on from their come-from-behind victory over Dandenong, and Papastergiadis cheekily admitted their late FFA Cup exploits are all a ploy.

"What South is doing is bringing excitement back into the game," he says.

"We don't want any of our supporters leaving the match until the final whistle is blown. So, it's a strategic play to make sure that every fan gets [their] money's worth.
"Leaving aside that fact that we have 10 heart surgeons on standby to help with resuscitating anyone in case the drama is too much."

Before the game the club's social club facilities had 180 guests assembled for a pre-match dinner that included the president of the China-Australia community federations, the president of the Shanghai Association, and the Chinese Consul-General to Victoria Jian Zhao.

The setting provided the opportunity for the club to announce a football partnership between South Melbourne and China, which was covered by 16 Chinese news agencies and radio stations.

"The China-Australia football foundation is part of the story and narrative of South Melbourne in terms of ensuring that we are continuing to stay relevant at all times," revealed Papastergiadis.

"We will be linking up with Chinese Super League clubs from China so kids will come here to train, sleep and eat and they will be looked after in the South youth program. They will utilise our facilities and all the football knowledge we have such as the full-time coaches we've got and to sell the brand. We've linked our club specifically into Asia and the domestic Chinese population."

While South Melbourne is working behind the scenes to build their brand off the field, Lujic feels success on the field is also a way of highlighting their A-League aspirations.

"There is always big expectations at this club across all competitions," he says.

"It is especially important to have a good cup run as the club wants to be on the national stage again.
"The club want to show Football Federation Australia that they are ready for the A-League and the FFA Cup is a perfect way to showcase the amazing facilities and structures that are in place to succeed in the top tier.
"When we play at our best we can beat anyone, so I think we can push to a semi-final or final and then after that anything can happen in cup football. Playing an A-League team at home would be the best result for the club and the players would love to show what they can do against an A-League team."

South will not have it all their way when they take on Western Australia's Sorrento FC, who in the previous Round beat last year's Cup semifinalist's Canberra Olympic 1-0.

And after two late dramatic wins and some patchy form in certain periods of previous games, Papastergiadis is confident Lakeside will witness an improved performance in the next round.

"We'll see in this next FFA Cup game an even better South Melbourne because they will be playing now with a lot more confidence and freedom," he says.

"So, this will be an even more exciting game against Sorrento. A win is imperative and we can't underestimate the importance of it and we would be lying in saying it's not relevant and that it's not imperative."

As South's A-League chairman in waiting Papastergiadis' focus is not just on South making it to the Round of 16, he believes whatever happens on the pitch, his focus is also on the big picture.

"It's also about the hard work that has been done previously," he says.

"That is in setting up the social club, in setting up the stadium deal, in recruiting players, in keeping a stable administration of the club. They are all the things that will guarantee the long terms success not just one or two games in the FFA Cup.
"The FFA Cup for me is the cherry on top of the cake and the cake is the foundation for the club and that is what we have been working on and that is what is going to hold us in good stead no matter what happens in the FFA Cup."

South Melbourne's journey to the FFA Cup and beyond | Neos Kosmos

For Neos Kosmos, the irony and symbolism of meeting up with former Soccer Australia chief David Hill the day after Heidelberg secured its famous FFA Cup round-of-32 victory is not lost.

Hill was the man who took charge of Australian soccer in the mid 1990s and his first act as chairman was to cut Heidelberg from the National Soccer League (NSL).

The 71-year-old's new book, The Fair and the Foul chronicles his controversial tenure as head of Australian Soccer between 1995 and 1998. Heidelberg coach George Katsakis, who oversaw the upset win over Perth Glory, remembers that time vividly and described it as the darkest period in the club's existence.

"It was like cutting away the umbilical cord from a baby while it's still in the womb," he says.

"It just stopped it all. You've taken a lot of its history, you've taken a lot of its memories away from it.
"There were certain things done at board level that Soccer Australia did and reports that were written up by certain people that people didn't agree with. But it's the club that calls itself the people's club, the warrior-type club, the club that rolls up its sleeves and fights back."

And fight back it did. More than 20 years after its axing, Heidelberg's upset win over Perth Glory in the FFA Cup isn't just a Victorian NPL team beating the A-League professionals - for Katsakis it's much more than that.

"It stands as one the greatest victories in the club's history," he says.

"Having to start all over again and achieving that victory - it's one of the club's greatest highlights.
"You talk about great teams over the journey of Australian football, and Heidelberg and Perth Glory are just that. Two giants existing back then and coming together today on the national stage with the introduction of the FFA Cup. It's quite significant, isn't it?
"It was definitely one of the things that drove us to that result. I'm really proud at the moment. A lot of people asked, 'who was the A-League team? Was it Heidelberg or Perth Glory?' It clearly indicated on the night that there wasn't much difference between the two."

Heidelberg was not the only club that was axed from the 1995-1996 NSL season, with Brunswick and Parramatta Melita also getting the chop. Hill said it was done because they failed to satisfy the Australian Soccer Federation's minimum conditions for admission into the league.

"I didn't make a judgement about any of those clubs, I made a decision based on their failure to meet the criteria," he says.

"All of the NSL clubs in some respects failed to meet aspects of the criteria but those three clubs failed them all.
"They didn't have the crowds, the facilities, they didn't have the money, they didn't have the seating. It was a whole raft of things dealing with the viability of the club, dealing with the financing of the club, the facilities of the spectators.
"In the book, I chronicle for 20 years the failure of the NSL to generate any support outside the migrant communities. Did I take over soccer so it would remain an enclave of a few ethnic groups? No. I wasn't de-ethnising. This is the one protest I make. There is nothing wrong with those proud traditions and they should stay part of the club. But the clubs had to move mainstream or they should forever remain a minor sport."

But when Hill announced Heidelberg's axing, the Warriors didn't go down without a fight. A crowd of 10,000 people attended a rally at Olympic Village to protest the decision and Hill recalls the remonstrations weren't just consigned to Melbourne.

"I remember busloads of Macedonian Greeks, literally bus loads came up to Sydney to protest," he says.

"They were all pissed these Macedonian Greeks and they had come overnight on the bus and they had a bit to drink as well. The headquarters of Soccer Australia was behind the Sydney Football Stadium in those days and the buses were parked there.
"The police turned up and I told them that I wanted to meet them. But the police said, 'You are bloody not,' but eventually I met a deputation of them and about ten of them came into Soccer Australia and they were really passionate."

Hill is married to a Greek woman, is a supporter of Sydney Olympic and his son plays for Olympic's under 16s youth team. So, at the time Berger fans felt betrayed by Hill because they thought he was a friend to their cause.

"They said to me, 'You of all people, you really understand the Greeks,' Hill recalled. 'We voted for you', and I said, 'Why did you vote for me? You voted for me to fix soccer.' They replied, 'No, we didn't! We voted for you to look after us,' and I said, 'No! 'I'm not here for that. I'm here trying to mainstream soccer and realise its potential.'
"And that was the difference between what I was trying to do and what soccer administration had done in the past. It was there at the behest of the bloody stakeholders. It was entrenched vested interest and I wasn't. And yes it did antagonise and upset a lot of traditionalists."

The 1996/1997 season saw Perth Glory enter the NSL and Heidelberg found their way back into the league again as one half of the Collingwood Warriors who were backed by AFL side Collingwood.

Perth became one of the league's success stories, winning two titles and drawing record crowds. Years later they would also become the template club for the A-League. But Collingwood survived for only one season and the Bergers were consigned to the Victorian State League where they have been ever since.

More than 20 years since Heidelberg's axing from Australian football's top tier, Katsakis says Wednesday night's FFA Cup clash is another chance for the club to shine on the big stage again.

"Playing another powerhouse in Sydney United from the old NSL days is the biggest challenge to date," he says.

"Because we are playing on a synthetic pitch that we're definitely not used to. But this group of players can withstand anything that is put in front of them. They are all going to roll up their sleeves and dig deep and try and make the club proud."

Katsakis added, "Of all the NPL clubs in Australia, at the moment we are one of the more significant going around. We staged a fixture against Melbourne City two years ago in front of a crowd of 11,500 which stands as a FFA Cup record. We beat Perth Glory in front of 4,500 people. Currently we are on top of the NPL, we won the Docherty Cup and we are alive in all competitions – that just shows you what hard work can do and what you can achieve.
"Our intention is to hopefully get a quarter final berth at home against another A-League club and try and show the whole footballing community that Heidelberg can achieve what it did against Melbourne City again this year."

Heidelberg's FFA Cup success takes them back to the future | Neos Kosmos