PMSA announces Super League football concept

A SUPER League football concept will be introduced by the Port Moresby Soccer Association (PMSA) when the season proper kicks off in April as the association looks to lift football standards.
Eight teams have been identified for the inaugural high level division which will be a semi-professional competition.
The winner will be endorsed by PMSA to enter the Telikom National Soccer League.
President Russel Tsuga announced this as part of a major re-organisation of the PMSA competition structure to be effective this year.
The super league division will also involve a women’s competition.
In the restructure, the super league will be the top compeition followed by the premier division, followed by an under 21 division to be known as the premier reserve, then a first division, second division, U19 and U17 for the men.
The women’s category will have a premier, first and second division as well as an under 18 and 17 competition.
Tsuga says the NSL has raised standards and many PMSA players play in that competition therefore the move (to create a super league division) was to maintain the quality of football and competitiveness.
He added that teams in lower divisions would also have the chance to progress up the ranks with a relegation and promtion system.
The eight super league teams are: VATS Yamaros FC, POMSOE, Mungkas FC, University FC, Cosmos FC, Momase FC, YMC FC and Hard Rocks FC.
“I think this is the way to go to improve the standard of football and take it to the next level.
“I urge all clubs affiliated to the PMSA to support this concept.
“This will mean strengthening your club management and training and player management.
“The NSL has made it mandatory that teams entering its competiton must be endorsed by an association and this initiative (super league) is to establish a competition what will be the benchmark as to who PMSA endorses.”
He said the super league would be managed separately from the PMSA.
However all its decisions will be in line with association’s rules and regulations.
Meanwhile the PMSA has announced that clubs must fill in application forms and submit the forms with a K200 non-refundable fee into the PMSA bank account by the end of this month.
Tsuga said the application forms must be submitted together with a club constitution, club structure, master list of players in all divisions and indication of training venues.
He added that clubs owed money by the PMSA would be exempted from paying the application fee.