PNG still hopeful
By HENRY MORABANG
PAPUA New Guinea women soccer team will rely on their hearts and experience when they meet New Zealand tomorrow in the winner-take-all Olympic qualifier soccer match at Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.
Coach Francis Moiyap said he has the team to win the game, and they have been instructed to put their bodies on the line for their country – meaning playing aggressively to win the all- important match.
“Seriously, the women are working against time and I will be banking on their hearts to win the match for Papua New Guinea,” Moiyap said.
He admitted that our women were not tough mentally but he would be relying on experienced players like skipper Julie Alau, Miriam Lanta, and Lydia Barnabas to lead the young charges against the much bigger New Zealand rivals.
Alau, Miriam and Barnabas were part of the first gold medal victory in Suva, Fiji, in 2003 and were also part of the team that defended the gold in Apia, Samoa, last year.
With the change of guards in this match, Moiyap will be banking on young players such as Caroline Moeder, Daisy Winas, Katherin Salaiau to provide necessary support for the experience players.
He said our women know how the New Zealand play after playing them during the World Cup qualifier in Lae last April and losing 7-o. Former Brazilian coach Marcos Gusmao was in charge of the team then.
Moiyap said he will be using the 4-4-2 system against New Zealand unlike the previous PNG team at the World Cup qualifier which used 3-5-2 system.
PNG team: Linda Bunaga (goalkeeper), Miriam Lanta, Caroline Moeder, Helen Baki, Katherine Salaiau, Helen Baki (defenders), Lydia Barnabas, Tracey Kig, Julie Alau, Daisy Winas (midfield), Deslyn Siniu, Ara Midi (strikers)
The New Zealand team will arrive today from Australia where they were beaten 3-0 by Australia in the Trans-Tasman Challenge which ended on Wednesday.
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