Hekari set for big year

Sports

By PATRICIA KEAMO
THE Hekari United women’s team have a challenging month ahead of them to prepare for the Oceania Football Confederation Women’s Champions League for a spot in the Fifa Women’s Club World Cup, says team manager Vonnie Kapi Natto.
Hekari, who won the 2021-2022 Women’s National Soccer League season, qualified to represent Papua New Guinea in the tournament from March 9-18 in Port Moresby.
“I’m excited about the tournament but it’s going to take a lot of work. Preparations for a tournament like this is not easy,” Kapi Natto told The National yesterday.
“We will have to work really hard if we want to achieve qualifying for the club World Cup.
“It’s a different ball game when you’re playing in the local NSL compared to playing against champion clubs of other countries but I’m confident we will prepare well.
“It’s quite different so for us to compete and win games, we have to start now, get all the girls back to the highest level of fitness and hopefully we can do well.”
Hekari along with five other clubs (who have won their respective national leagues) from Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and New Zealand will be competing in the inaugural tournament.
“It’s really good opportunity for clubs in Oceania to compete in this event and to qualify for the Fifa Women’s Club World Cup,” Kapi Natto said.
“It’s good for the women and for the country. I hope women and girls can come and watch the tournament. This is a big thing and hopefully it can motivate a lot of young girls.
“I have a lot of young kids who are part of the Hekari Academy and we’re working tirelessly to have all of them be part of this.
“Watching the games can drive you to have more hunger and desire to play football.
The club, headed by coach Erickson Komeng and assistant coach David Muta, begun preparations with support from national goalkeeper coach Godfrey Baniau.
Kapi Natto said players who were on break in their home provinces would return to Port Moresby today and tomorrow to join the training camp.
“Our players in the national team are aware of it, when they return (form the Fifa World Cup qualifiers) they will join the team here to prepare for the women’s O-league,” said Kapi Natto.
“It’s a challenge for all of us, especially the team and we know we have a big job to get done but I know that we should be ready for them,” she said.