NSL to have two conferences: PNGFA

THE Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA) has confirmed 14 teams for the upcoming National Soccer League (NSL) season, with seven sides each in the Northern and Southern Conferences.
The Northern Conference will see Sepik, Tusbab Stallions, Lae City, Lae City Dwellers, Morobe Wawens, Morobe United and Northern Development Team.
The Southern Conference will see Port Moresby Strikers, Hekari United, Star Mountain, Gulf Komara, Central Dabaris, Tavur and Southern Development Team.
General secretary Pius Letenge said with matches now to be played in the two conferences, the PNGFA Secretariat had reduced the K80,000 fee to K51,500 per team.

He said PNGFA would refund the clubs that had paid their full affiliation fee and send new K51,500 invoices to clubs that were yet to pay their affiliation and player registration fees which the deadline had lapsed yesterday.
Meanwhile, Letenge said PNGFA would comply with the requirements set by the deputy national pandemic response controller for affiliated sports federations to hold their competitions.
He said the National Control Centre (NCC) had issued the following requirements for federations to comply:
– Approved Covid-19 protocol for each sports from NCC;
– No spectators allowed during the competitions until further notice; and,
– All players and officials should be vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine to partake in competitions.
Letenge acknowledged the new measures, stating that PNGFA would now stage the NSL in two conferences.
“We will not have a home-and-away NSL competition due to the fact that the majority of players do not want to be vaccinated,” he said.
“Unless all teams agree to be vaccinated, there will be no home-and-away competition.”
Letenge said the PNG Sports Foundation’s pandemic management committee should conduct more awareness among federations.
“PNGFA wants to see the competition takes place by allowing matches to be played in Lae and Port Moresby only,” he said.