City, Morobe United primed

The National Sports

By LARRY ANDREW
THE Kumul Petroleum National Soccer League elimination round is scheduled for this weekend across all the four regions.
Northern Conference winners Toti City play Blue Kumul at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium tomorrow.
Northern Conference runners-up Morobe United will travel up the highway to Goroka to face Highlands Conference champions Kagua Erave at the National Sports Institute.
Morobe United, who had a fairytale run in the NSL this season, have a bag of surprises when they take on Kagua Erave.
After being out of the NSL competition for two seasons due to football politics, Morobe United’s presence in the Northern Conference has demonstrated that football is still in their best interests.
Their confidence and determination to be competitive has seen them rise to the occasion to be in the finals.
Coach Daino Semi said his players were confident about getting the win against Kagua Erave, who have averaged 3.2 goals per game so far this season.
“We finished second in the Northern Conference and are ready for the second leg of the NSL,” Semi said.
“We are going there to win and advance to the next stage.
“The preparation is good from the defence, midfield and frontline, which are all balanced.”
Assistant coach Jack Jonathan added the game is competitive and the franchise had been competitive to come second and qualify for the second leg.
“We are focusing on our attacking in the centre of the field with the combination of our midfielders, strikers and the outside defenders.”
City will not take the visiting Blue Kumuls lightly when they meet the Highlands side at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium.
The host — with captain Raymond Gunemba, Nigel Dabinyaba, Michael Foster, Emmanuel Simon, Jacob Sabua and Emmanuel Airem looking to take control of the match — will be dangerous across the park.
In the backline, the challenge will be on the City defence to safeguard their goalmouth and the responsibility will be on the shoulders of Valentine Nelson, Mosie Milubwa, Japhet Tiampo and Albert Goropaul to build a strong wall.