City undergo training

The National Sports

By ISAAC LIRI
LAE City Dwellers, now known as Toti City FC, have undergone extensive training in preparation for the Oceania Football Confederation Champions League in February, coach Peter Gunemba says.
The National Soccer League champions started their training for the OFC Champions League in September, went on a break, resumed training in November and have continued on.
“We are training hard during the festive season because we want to do well in the Champions League this time,” Gunemba said.
“This is going to be our third time to take part in this OFC event, in our first year in 2015 we didn’t win any games, last year we won one and this time it would be great if we win all three games in our pool.”
Toti City were placed in Pool A with Vanuatu’s Nakultan FC, Fiji’s Ba FC and the qualifier winner of American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga.
Heading into the Champions League, Toti City will also be having the services of Solomon Islands internationals Tutizama Tanito, Andrew Rarangia and Clement Willies of Mungkas in the Port Moresby Soccer Association.
“We are pleased to add these players into our side. I believe that they will use their experience to strengthen the team.
“We will be also fortunate to have the services of PNG international Nigel Dabinyaba who has returned home to help his local team.
“Nigel left Penang FC in Malaysia according to his own choice just to come and help us because he is very passionate about his local team and we thank him for that,” Gunemba said.
Meanwhile, Gunemba clarified that Toti City FC was the team name they would use in the National Soccer League to acknowledge their new major sponsor Lae Biscuit Company but still use Lae City Dwellers in the OFC Champions League.
“A lot of fans were not happy at first but we must understand the importance of sponsorship that makes everything possible.
“We are so grateful about this new sponsorship which will see our players come under the (sponsor’s) payroll which is something beneficial for the team.
“The Morobe Provincial Government will also continue on with their sponsorship toward the team but Lae Biscuit Company are now major sponsors,” Gunemba added.
The team leaves the country for the OFC Champions League pool stage in Vanuatu on Feb 6.