Tall order for Kapuls

By ISAAC LIRI
THE Papua New Guinea Kapuls need to beat the Solomon Islands by at least five goals today in order to finish on top of Group B in their final Oceania Football Confederation World Cup qualifier.
The assignment became a mountain after Fleming Serritlsev’s side lost their away leg 3-2 to the Solomon Islands Bonitos in Honiara last Friday.
The Bonitos only need a draw to claim the number one spot in the group.
If PNG win by fewer than five goals, then Tahiti advance to the next stage of the regional qualifier.
The Solomon Islanders, who arrived in Port Moresby yesterday, have less pressure on them with a draw their fall-back plan if they cannot snatch a win at the PNG Football Stadium this afternoon.
Coach Serristlev remained steadfast in his belief that his side can produce on home soil.
“It is mission impossible but in football anything can happen,” Serritslev said.
“Of course we believe we can do it even though it’s a very complicated task for us to get.
“Last year when we played Samoa in the OFC Nations Cup we knew we had to score five goals to go onto the semifinals and we scored eight goals.
“Of course Solomon Islands is a totally different opponent than Samoa. They’re much stronger in football but for us there is no way back and the skill for us is to attack and avoid counter-attacks because the Solomon Islanders are great footballers and they have good finishers,” the Dane said.
Serristlev, pictured, said the 3-2 defeat to the Bonitos was important in a way because it would give his players more to play for.
“So no matter what happens, we will die with our boots on. We will give everything we can for this nation to be proud of but at the end of the day I can only say that we will see if it is enough or not.
“We know that Solomon Islands will fight very hard but we’ll also fight very hard.  That is why we are expecting a very exciting game.”
Solomon Islanders skipper Henry Fa’arado, who missed Friday’s game due to suspension, does not see the Kapuls as an underdog referring to their recent success in the OFC Nations Cup and their ability to lift at home.
“I think the Kapuls, and where they are now, they are probably the fast growing team in the Oceania region,” Fa’arodo said.
“I would say they were underdogs once before but at the moment I would say they are not underdogs anymore because they have proven themselves and we have so much respect for them now.” The former Hekari United player believes the Kapuls may have a chance to create a miracle as he considers both sides as equal opponents and the Bonitos would have to be at their best to advance to the next stage of the qualifiers.
“The PNG team has one thing in common which is, they never give up on fighting,” he said.
The 34-year-old said despite the loss of some of their old players, who are not available due to their affiliation to a non-Fifarecognised federation, he viewed the Kapuls as equally dangerous and not far off the side they played in the OFC Nations Cup last year.
“They had a few players coming in and they have all stepped up and the same goes for us as well.
“We have nearly half of the team changed as well so I think both sides will perform,” Fa’arodo said.