NSL’s top 8 meet – The National

By BENJAMIN KOITAKA
STAGE two of the Kumul Petroleum National Soccer League (NSL) starts tomorrow, with eight teams – two from each region – set to compete for spots in a home-and-away series.
This was confirmed by the Papua New Guinea New Guinea Football Association in Port Moresby yesterday.
Stage two will be played at Kokopo’s Ceremonial Park, Goroka’s National Sports Institute, Lae’s Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium and Port Moresby’s Sir John Guise Stadium.
“It was quite challenging to hold the matches in all the four regions but we did it,” NSL chairman Benny Popoitai said.
“Saturday will be the home-and-away elimination round.
“We are excited that the competition is set for the finals but there is more room for improvement and we have taken note of those issues.
“We will conduct a review administratively and across all the clubs to be better next season.”
NSL manager Leslie Babaga said after the elimination round, the four winning teams will compete in a home-and-away series.
The series winners — determined using the aggregate points system — will then meet in the grand final while the losers play off for third, with both matches to be held at the Sir John Guise Stadium on June 1.
“In the series, if both teams record a win each, we will look at the goals scored for, to determine who makes the grand final,” Babaga said. In the elimination round, Southern Conference winners Hekari United play host to New Guinea Island (NGI) runners-up West Tribes at the Sir John Guise Stadium while Eastern Stars travel to Kokopo to face NGI victors Chebu AROB.
Highlands Conference winners Kagua Erave host Northern runners-up Morobe United at the National Sports Institute in Goroka and Blue Kumuls travel to Lae to face defending champions Toti City at the Sir Ignatus Kilage Stadium.
The home-and-away series will be played from May 18-25.
Elimination round fixtures: Sat, May 11 – Hekari United v West Tribes (Port Moresby, 3pm), Chebu AROB v Eastern Stars (Kokopo, 3pm), Toti City v Blue Kumuls (Lae, 3pm), Kagua Erave v Morobe United( Goroka, 3pm).