Soccer boss hails WNSL

By PATRICIA KEAMO
PAPUA New Guinea’s revamped Women’s National Soccer League will see 14 clubs kick off in Lae and Port Moresby this weekend, opening the road to the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
PNG Football Association (PNGFA) president John Kapi Natto said the national women’s soccer team had long been champions of the Pacific with five consecutive gold medals in the Pacific Games since 2003 and were considered as second to New Zealand in the Oceania Football Confederation.
All these were achieved without a regular competition in the country and now with the league’s revival, PNGFA was working to boost its competition with the aim of qualifying for the World Cup which will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
“Our women continue to rank above other Pacific Island countries, winning many gold medals without any regular competition,” he said.
“That is a huge achievement for our women as they continue to compete for supremacy in Oceania with the dream of one day going to the World Cup.”
Kapi Natto congratulated the clubs which will be playing in the northern and southern conferences starting on Saturday and will run through to April next year.
The northern conference has Bara, Poro, Rainy Lae, Pacific Gardens, Tusbab Laidamons, Markham Raings, Sepik and Morobe Tulips while the southern conference has Port Moresby City, Port Moresby Academy, Genesis, Amoana, Hekari and NCD Public Servants Soccer Association.
“These 14 clubs are the first to take our football forward, we don’t know what the future has in store for us,” Kapi Natto said.
“But I am a man of faith, I am a man of passion, I believe that if we have a dream, we’ll get there.”
Kapi Natto challenged the team managers, coaches and captains to look at the achievements of former women representatives and pick up from where they left off.
“I see a brighter future for women’s football as we all begin our journey to the World Cup,” he said.
“Nothing can stop these women from reaching our dream, that’s why the PNGFA is now working tirelessly to begin this journey.”
Kapi Natto said Fifa had provided some funding for PNGFA to revive the league.
In a short message at the launching, Fifa president Gianni Infantino congratulated PNGFA and the teams for the revival.