Six-week NSL extension not good: Mobiha

 THE six-week final format for National Soccer League is unnecessary, expensive and cannot go unchallenged, a former PNGFA executive said.

Noel Mobiha, the former acting PNG Football Association secretary general said the decision must be made in the interest of soccer in PNG.

He said the two New Zealand bound teams for OFC Champions League, Hekari United and Lae City Dwellers should be given every opportunity to rest players and help some recover, prepare well by reserving funds to play international warm up friendlies and focus on only one objective. 

The main objective for these two clubs is to become champions and bring that title to PNG. 

The OFC tournament begins on April 8 and ends on April 23, 2016 which is less than eight weeks away from next week. 

Mobiha who has a son, Rodney, playing for Hekari United said the focus for the two teams should be on the OFC championships during that period and not on NSL. 

“The format of another six weeks on the block serves no purpose and is therefore unnecessary and will be very expensive to stage. If that was to happen, the competition should have started early towards the end of last year,” Mobiha said.

He said given the time and financial constraints, Hekari United and Lae City Dwellers  management teams have every right to ask NSL to conclude the competition with a two week finals play offs. Week one is the semi-finals. The winner of the Southern Conference plays the runner up of the Northern Conference and winner of the Northern Conference playing the runner up of the Southern Conference. It is proposed that one game is played in Lae and the other in Port Moresby. 

Week two is the grand final week. The two losing teams play for third and fourth placing and winners play for first and second placing.