Coach overseeing camps

By PATRICIA KEAMO
PAPUA New Guinea head coach Warren Moon is overseeing two camps in Lae and Port Moresby to help prepare the Kapuls for the Oceania Football Confederation Nations Cup in June in Vanuatu.
Moon said the camps provided an opportunity for him to look at new players and existing national squad members who were undergoing high performance training facilitated by PNG High Performance Sport.
He told The National that he was open to considering players across the country through recommendations from their respective member associations.
“(The camps will be used) to baseline test them to see where they are at in comparison to professional football parameters which is the level I want to see all my players meet if they are to be selected for the national team,” said Moon.
“Preparation has been better because we have learnt more about the players and since running training camps in Port Moresby and Lae and I have discovered new players which is pleasing.
“The Fifa series highlighted the fact we have much work to do across the country in improving the fitness levels of our players. There is work to be done not just by myself and PNGFA but also the member associations right down to grassroots football, coaches and players collectively.”
Moon said work was progressing to change the fitness levels for the players to an acceptable level for international football.
“We went to Sri Lanka well below the required levels of competing against sides who were superior in these areas, and we need to make sure this never happens again,” he said.
“We are putting structures in place to make sure our national team players are prepared and in good condition all year round and have them completing two gym sessions a week plus two fitness conditioning sessions and sessions under the instruction of our high-performance team at the PNG Sports Foundation,” said the Kapuls coach.