Player safety a worry

 By HENRY MORABANG
HEKARI United is worried about the safety of its elite local and overseas players taking part in the National Soccer League.
Club manageress Vonnie Kapi Natto is fuming over Lae-based referee Amos Anio handling of the 2-2 draw with Gigira Laitepo over the weekend at the PNGIPA Oval in Port Moresby.
She claimed Anio was very inconsistent in his rulings.
“This is the worst year of football refereeing,” she said.
Kapi Natto said the referees’ main role was to enforce the laws of the game, protect the game and more importantly, protect the players – the people who make it happen on the field of play.
She said she was vocal from the bench because her worry for the safety of her players.
Hekari is involved in two leagues – the local Telikom-sponsored semi-professional competition and the yet-to-kick-off Oceania Champions League.
Kapi Natto said all times the referee must remember the safety of players. She is appealing to the national soccer body and the NSL board to remove referees who cannot meet the standard of NSL.
“The performance of some senior referees in Lae and Port Moresby does not warrant their spot at top level football,” she said.
“I am now appealing to referees to lift their performance as their actions will dictate whether the match is worth watching or people will move to other sports.”
She said  she was not upset at the draw and commended Gigira Laiteo for pushing her charges to limit.
She called on everyone involved in the sport to protect the game and “most importantly protect our elite players as they are the ones will be representing the country at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby”.
Anio welcomed Kapi Natto’s comments, saying he would not bow to intimidation from bench officials in Port Moresby or Lae. “I think I have been fair and neutral in controlling the game between Hekari and Gigira Laitepo.” He called on NSL franchises and team of­ficials to respect referees’ decisions.