Bauelua named skipper for women’s World Cup playoff

PAPAUA New Guinea women’s football team head coach Spencer Prior has named midfielder Rayleen Bauelua to captain the squad for the Fifa Women’s World Cup inter-confederation playoff tournament in Auckland, New Zealand on Sunday.
Bauelua has a vast experience with the women’s team dating back to the Fifa Under-20 World Cup hosted in Port Moresby in 2016 up to their historic win in the Oceania Football Confederation Women’s Nations Cup in Fiji last year.
“Rayleen is going to be captain for this campaign and it’s something that I am really pleased for her, given the work that she’s been doing across performances since I’ve been in the programme,” Prior said.
The 28-year-old was part of the women’s team in the 2018 OFC Women’s Nations Cup and the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa and has been a mainstay in directing play for the women’s team.
“I was nervous because this is a really big role and looking at the captains that came before me, it’s a really big shoe to fill,” Bauelua said.
“But we’ve been here for four months and if my coach saw that I’m fit to do this then I’ll take up the role.”
Bauelua said they had limited preparation time ahead of their clash with Panama but believes the team could challenge the South Americans.
“I want to reassure the team that I am confident in them and I trust that we will play our hearts out. Soccer is a game that we all play so we must have that confidence in ourselves and trust each other.
“We know that we are representing the entire population of PNG so we ask for your support knowing that it’s not just our strength that will take us through the game but through God’s guidance.
“We need your support and everyone else back at home.”