Last teams arrive for World Cup

BY MELTON PAIS
THE last two teams, New Zealand and United States, arrived yesterday for the Under-20 women’s soccer World Cup which kicks off on Sunday.
Team Ghana also arrived earlier yesterday.
New Zealand, led by captain and defender Meikayla Moore, were welcomed by youths from the 4-Mile and East Boroko area in Port Moresby, wearing Kiwi polo shirts and waving flags.
Moore said she liked how it felt to be in PNG, as she knew a little about the country but to actually come here and experience the climate and the people was quite exciting.
“We are very excited to be in PNG for the next three weeks,” Moore said.
She said the team were well prepared for the games and the climate here as some of the women had played in humid climates common to Pacific Island countries.
“We know how to cope and deal with it so it is not a worry for us at the moment,” she said
New Zealand’s coach Leon Birnie said the Port Moresby climate would be a challenge but he hoped the girls would acclimatise during training in the next three days.
“We been in several trainings and coaching sessions back in NZ but that is not the same as being out here on the open sun so that’s going to be a tough challenge but we will still manage,” Birnie said.