Hekari four back home

By HENRY MORABANG
FOUR Papua New Guinea soccer players returned home satisfied players after helping their team, Marist FC reach the Oceania Football Confederation’s Champions League next year.
Led by PNG captain David Muta and included national stars Koriak Upaiga, Tommy Semmy and Daniel Joe – all Hekari United teammates – the stint in the Solomon Islands proved fruitful.
“We returned home happy after achieving our objective which was to help Marist qualify for the OFC Champions League,”Muta said.
“We enjoyed every bit of football in the Solomon Islands semi–professional league. We go out there and did our part to ensure we qualify our adopted team for the OFC premier competition and we did it,” the 29-year-old said.
Muta said their presence at Lawson Tama Stadium was as much a valuable expereince for the Hekari quartet as it was for Marist.
“There is a big difference from PNG and Solomon Islands. We are bringing something strong and the players rise to the occasion to challenge us,” the mid-fielder said.
“I am not being boastful but I think our standard has improved a lot compared to Solomon Islands.”
Muta has been somewhat of a roving ambassador for PNG football playing for three different clubs in Australia (Sunshine Coast FC), Rewa (Fiji) and now Marist FC (Solomon Islands).
“Me, Koriak (Upaiga) and Kema (Jack) went and played for Sunshine Coast and we won a final with them. We had a good run for Rewa in Fiji just missing out on a final while now in Solomon Islands, we help them win a minor premier and qualification for the OFC Champions League next year.” Upaiga descrbied his stint in the Solomon Islands as top year that saw him after winning several accolades at home.
“It’s been a good season for me winning the NSL Golden Boot and the minor premiership with Hekari, and now helping Marist win a OFC Champions League spot,” Upaiga said.
Goal-scoring machine, Tommy Semmy, who had his first overseas stint in the Solomon Island, said he was expecting more but unfortunately his international transfer certificate was not cleared on time.