NSL set for kick-off

By ISAAC LIRI
DEFENDING National Soccer League champions Toti City FC will be putting up a strong side to take on Besta PNG United for their round one match at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae tomorrow.
City coach Peter Gunemba said his team were also preparing for the OFC Champions League and would be using their NSL matches to test their best players.
“We have been preparing well and we will be using all our national representative players in our NSL matches starting on Saturday,” Gunemba said.
“We had a trial match against Besta last week and they were really good. They have young talented players and they gave us a good challenge so it will be interesting game and we are looking forward.”
City FC will be boosted with PNG internationals Raymond Gunemba, Obert Bika and Nigel Dabinyaba up front, midfielders Jacob Sabua and Emmanuel Simon, goalkeeper Ronald Warisan and Solomon Islands defender Andrew Rarangia.
The other Solomon Islands international to join the team was scheduled to arrive on Thursday.
“We are happy about the two Solomon Islanders in our team. They are top players and they will help us in the NSL and lead up to the OFC Champions League,” Gunemba said.
Meanwhile, other NSL matches will see newcomers and Port Moresby-based franchises Southern Strikers and FC Momase go head to head at the Bisini soccer grounds while Madang FC host newcomers FC Morobe Wawens at the Laiwaden Oval.
All three NSL games are scheduled to kick-off at 3pm tomorrow.
NSL chairman Benny Popotai will kick-off the match in Madang while PNGFA senior vice-president John Wesley Gonjuan and NSL deputy chairman Miok Komolong will kick-off the Lae and Port Moresby games respectively.
Fixtures: Sat, Jan 13 – Southern Strikers v FC Momase (POM), Madang FC v FC Morobe Wawens (Madang), Toti City FC v Besta PNG United (Lae).