Lae City snare two Ecuadorians

NSL champs to fly in duo for domestic, regional campaigns

By PARKER TAMBUA
KUMUL Petroleum National Soccer League (NSL) champions Lae City have confirmed the signing of two Ecuadorian professional players to boost their domestic and Oceania Football Confederation Champions League campaigns.
Head coach Peter Gunemba told The National yesterday that the pair, playing in the Ecuadorian professional league, would arrive in Lae on Jan 16 while talks with a third were still ongoing.
Gunemba, who couldn’t name the players, said the pair would be put through fitness tests before taking the pitch for the Lae Biscuit Company-sponsored side.

“Our sponsor Ian Chow and the Lae Buiscuit Company have already made the arrangements for the players and they have agreed,” Gunemba said.
“We will test them out first in a couple of NSL games just to see their combinations before we travel for the Champions League.”
City are in Group B of the Champions League, alongside hosts Malampa Revivors (Vanuatu), S-League runners-up (Solomon Islands) and Lautoka (Fiji). The group stage will be held from Feb 15-21.
Gunemba said his side would also welcome back the experience of forward and PNG international Nigel Dabinyaba and midfielder Emanuel Simon at the resumption of the competition on Jan 11 after the pair were rested in the first two rounds.
“We rested Nigel and Emanuel purposely to test some of the new boys like Walbo Komuna and Eddie Manangu to have a feel of the NSL,” he said.
“We can’t expect Raymond (Gunemba) and Nigel (Dabinyaba) to be playing forever.
“Sooner or later, they will retire and move on.
“We have to start planning ahead in providing that smooth transition so that our young players can step up and maintain the standard that has been set.”
Gunemba said City would spend the Christmas break training at the High Performance Sport facilities in Lae to prepare for the Champions League.