National team get nod

By PATRICIA KEAMO
PAPUA New Guinea Football Association has been granted permission from the PNG Sport Foundation for the national men’s team to train under strict Niupela Pasin measures ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Qatar.
Association general secretary Pius Letenge confirmed this yesterday with The National following the announcement of a 30-man squad.
He said the association’s coaching and technical team had a strategy that would see no more than 20 players on the field at any one time in adherence to the ban on gathering of more than 20 people.
“We have only three months to prepare for our international fixtures, so we were granted approval following a memo from the (foundation’s pandemic management) committee,” Letenge said.
“While we await the arrival of (Brazilian) head coach Marcos Gusmao, national coach Bob Morris will be in charge of the team with the assistance of other local coaches.
“Once Gusmao arrives in PNG, he will introduce his own playing format and style into the training programmes then trim the squad, depending on his philosophies.
“However, as per international (Fifa) requirements, the national squad has to be less than 30 players.”
Letenge said Gusmao had advised the association to arrange more domestic friendly matches before looking at having international friendlies ahead of the qualifiers. “Two of the main things the head coach will be looking for in players is physical fitness and mental toughness,” he said.
“So we will assemble a strong team to play competitive matches against the national squad over the next three months. We will also be engaging the services of the PNG High Performance Sport for screening and testing.
“Preparation will run from November to January.
“By February, the team should be winding down with friendlies before the leaving for Qatar.”