Joseph aiming high

 By FRANCIS RODNEY PULU

PAPUA New Guinea Under-17 women’s soccer team captain Margaret Joseph is hoping to rise through the ranks and eventually make the senior side, but not just as a player — she wants to be captain as well.

The 16-year-old, of mixed East Sepik and Gulf parentage, told The National that after captaining the PNG U15 side to the Olympic Youth Games in 2014, captaincy was not something she actively pursued but after being appointed again to lead the U17 girls to the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) World Cup qualifier in Cook Islands from January 14-24, it was something she wanted to excel at.

Joseph, who completed her grade 12 last year at the Gerehu Secondary School in Port Moresby and is currently  waiting for an offer to continue her tertiary education, said she knew it would be a long journey to achieve her goal of representing — and captaining — other representative sides but she had already achieved that at the U15 and U17 levels so the challenge was to see how far she could go.

“For me, I’ve come to realise that leadership is something that can be applied in any area — and in sports teams, it is just as important,” Joseph said.

The fullback said she was only starting out in women’s soccer but she hoped to learn from the experiences leading and playing at international tournaments.

She admitted one of the problems she encountered when appointed to the role in 2014 was speaking.

“I am not a good speaker but since given the role, I’ve trying improve in this area because it is very important to be able to communicate with the team you are leading,” she said.

Joseph is the eldest in a family of three and says her experiences in the U15s and U17 training has seen her become a role model to her siblings.

“I’ve got two brothers and being a national sports representative, I want to show them that their big sister is achieving her goals and making the most of her talent — not just as a player, but as a leader as well.”

Joseph plays for the Yamaros senior women’s side in the Port Moresby Soccer Association.

She says said her next aim was to make the PNG U20 side and if the opportunity was given — captain it. 

Making the senior side is her ultimate sporting goal.

“I’m looking forward to leading the girls as we take on the other sides at the OFC World Cup Qualifier.

“It will be the first time for us to play at the OFC level but with our experience playing in 2014, that is what we will be standing on when we play Fiji, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands,” she said.

The PNG U17 team left yesterday for Rarotonga, Cook Islands.