National soccer development plans under fire

THE two successive losses by the Papua New Guinea Under-20 soccer team is a wake-up call for the PNGFA technical team and its elite development programme, a stalwart says.
The man who fought vigorously to have more competition for national teams at the age-group and full national level, John Kapi Natto made this comment after the 5-0 and 6-1 drubbings in Fiji.
“The PNGFA management should be blamed for the two massive losses by the PNG U20 team in Fiji,” he said. “The goals against us are very embarrassing and something should be done.”
Kapi Natto said when he was the vice president, he suggested friendly matches for the national team every year but that had been ignored.
Now the results of the U20 side are testimony of what he had been fighting for. Kapi Natto said money should be spent in keeping the team together and preparing them now for the 2015 Pacific Games as well as 2016 World Cup qualifiers.
“PNGFA must make plans now or else the same results might come in the 2015 Games,” he said. “Our men’s national teams are the flagship of our country; therefore, resources must be spent to get the results we want,” he said.