diff --git a/components/match2/wikis/warcraft/match_group_input_custom.lua b/components/match2/wikis/warcraft/match_group_input_custom.lua
index 1a75e57f60e..17b734b0fe9 100644
--- a/components/match2/wikis/warcraft/match_group_input_custom.lua
+++ b/components/match2/wikis/warcraft/match_group_input_custom.lua
@@ -320,79 +320,59 @@ end
 ---@param opponentIndex integer
 ---@return table<string, WarcraftParticipant>
 function MapFunctions.getTeamParticipants(mapInput, opponent, opponentIndex)
-	local players = opponent.match2players
-
-	---@type {input:string,faction:string?,link:string?,heroes:string?,heroesCheckDisabled:boolean,playedRandom:boolean}[]
-	local participantsList = Array.mapIndexes(function(playerIndex)
-		local prefix = 't' .. opponentIndex .. 'p' .. playerIndex
-
-		if Logic.isEmpty(mapInput[prefix]) then return end
-
-		return {
-			input = mapInput[prefix],
-			link = Logic.nilIfEmpty(mapInput[prefix .. 'link']),
-			faction = Faction.read(mapInput[prefix .. 'race']),
-			heroes = mapInput[prefix .. 'heroes'],
-			heroesCheckDisabled = Logic.readBool(mapInput[prefix .. 'heroesNoCheck']),
-			playedRandom = Logic.readBool(mapInput[prefix .. 'random']),
-		}
+	local players = Array.mapIndexes(function(playerIndex)
+		return Logic.nilIfEmpty(mapInput['t' .. opponentIndex .. 'p' .. playerIndex])
 	end)
 
-	local participants = {}
-
-	Array.forEach(participantsList, function(participantInput, position)
-		local nameInput = participantInput.input
-
-		local isTBD = nameInput:upper() == TBD
-
-		local link = participantInput.link or Variables.varDefault(nameInput .. '_page') or nameInput
-		link = Page.pageifyLink(link) --[[@as string -- can't be nil as input isn't nil]]
-
-		local playerIndex = MapFunctions.getPlayerIndex(players, link, nameInput)
-
-		-- in case we have a TBD or a player not known in match2players inster a new player in match2players
-		if isTBD or playerIndex == 0 then
-			table.insert(players, {
-				name = isTBD and TBD or link,
-				displayname = isTBD and TBD or nameInput,
-				extradata = {faction = participantInput.faction or Faction.defaultFaction},
-			})
-			playerIndex = #players
-		end
-
-		local player = players[playerIndex]
-		local faction = participantInput.faction or player.extradata.faction
-
-		participants[opponentIndex .. '_' .. playerIndex] = {
-			faction = faction,
-			player = link,
-			position = position,
-			flag = Flags.CountryName(player.flag),
-			random = participantInput.playedRandom,
-			heroes = MapFunctions.readHeroes(
-				participantInput.heroes,
-				faction,
-				link,
-				participantInput.heroesCheckDisabled
-			),
-		}
+	local participants, unattachedParticipants = MatchGroupInputUtil.parseParticipants(
+		opponent.match2players,
+		players,
+		function(playerIndex)
+			local prefix = 't' .. opponentIndex .. 'p' .. playerIndex
+			return {
+				name = mapInput[prefix],
+				link = Logic.nilIfEmpty(mapInput[prefix .. 'link']) or Variables.varDefault(mapInput[prefix] .. '_page'),
+				faction = Faction.read(mapInput[prefix .. 'race']),
+				heroes = mapInput[prefix .. 'heroes'],
+				heroesCheckDisabled = Logic.readBool(mapInput[prefix .. 'heroesNoCheck']),
+				playedRandom = Logic.readBool(mapInput[prefix .. 'random']),
+			}
+		end,
+		function(playerIndex, playerIdData, playerInputData)
+			local faction = playerInputData.faction or (playerIdData.extradata or {}).faction or Faction.defaultFaction
+			local link = playerIdData.name or playerInputData.link
+			return {
+				faction = faction,
+				player = link,
+				flag = Flags.CountryName(playerIdData.flag),
+				position = playerIndex,
+				random = playerInputData.playedRandom,
+				heroes = MapFunctions.readHeroes(
+					playerInputData.heroes,
+					faction,
+					link,
+					playerInputData.heroesCheckDisabled
+				),
+			}
+		end,
+		OPPONENT_CONFIG
+	)
+
+	Array.forEach(unattachedParticipants, function(participant)
+		local name = mapInput['t' .. opponentIndex .. 'p' .. participant.position]
+		local nameUpper = name:upper()
+		local isTBD = nameUpper == TBD
+
+		table.insert(opponent.match2players, {
+			name = isTBD and TBD or participant.player,
+			displayname = isTBD and TBD or name,
+			flag = participant.flag,
+			extradata = {faction = participant.faction},
+		})
+		participants[#opponent.match2players] = participant
 	end)
 
-	return participants
-end
-
----@param players {name: string, displayname: string}
----@param name string
----@param displayName string
----@return integer
-function MapFunctions.getPlayerIndex(players, name, displayName)
-	local playerIndex = Array.indexOf(players, function(player) return player.name == name end)
-
-	if playerIndex ~= 0 then
-		return playerIndex
-	end
-
-	return Array.indexOf(players, function(player) return player.displayname == displayName end)
+	return Table.map(participants, MatchGroupInputUtil.prefixPartcipants(opponentIndex))
 end
 
 ---@param mapInput table