PNGFA preparing for NSL start

By ERIC PIET
THE Papua New Guinea Football Association-sanctioned National Soccer League (NSL) kicks off on Jan 19, says president John Kapi Natto.
Kapi Natto said last week that the competition would be rolled out in all the four regions of the country, unlike in the past 12 years where the NSL was only held in Port Moresby and Lae. “In the last 12 years, we’ve always looked at Port Moresby and Lae in hosting our NSL competition and the costs have be very astronomical, which some of the clubs could not afford,” Kapi Natto said.
“We have taken that into consideration in our meeting.
“To lower costs and unite the country in the sport, we have to take football to the four regions of the country.
“When the competition kicks off in the Southern conference, it will simultaneously start in Mamose, Highlands and the New Guinea Islands.
“The competition will be played in the four conferences and will come under the NSL board that is in place. We are only going to see whether we keep some of the board members or reshuffle them and that is something the management is looking at.
“We are also going to consider bringing members that will contribute to the board.
“We want to see members who will bring value or sponsors.
“We want to have executives who are able to move the NSL forward.”
Meanwhile, PNGFA senior vice-president John Wesley Gonjuan said forms were ready for clubs to register their interest.
“The expression-of-interest period begins now (Nov 14) and closes on Dec 14,” Gonjuan said.
“After it is closed, we will determine how many teams we have from each region.”