U16s ready for challenge

THE Papua New Guinea Under-16 team left the country yesterday confident of a strong showing in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) playoff for next year’s Fifa U17 World Cup in Peru.
Coach Anthony Pakakota’s side need to finish in the top two of Group A to advance to the finals but it will not be easy.
PNG will play their first match against the hosts the Solomon Islands at the Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara on Sunday afternoon.
PNG then faces off against Vanuatu on Wednesday and finally against tournament favourites New Zealand on Sept 15 for a spot in the semifinals.
PNG Football Association general secretary Dimirit Mileng, pictured, emphasised discipline on and off the field, as they were representing the country at a regional tournament.
“This is your first representative mission abroad and you are ambassadors of PNG,” he told the players.
“Play your best for the country and be disciplined on and off the field.”
PNG lost 4-2 to the National Soccer League champions Toti City FC in a warm-up at the PNGFA Academy last week as part of their preparations.
They are expected to play a friendly against Fiji U16s today, pending availability of fields.
Pakakota, an OFC-certified coach who coaches Port Moresby Soccer Association Premier League side PS Ruts, is hoping his side manages a top two finish in Group A and they will then play one of the top two finishers from Group B — Tahiti, New Caledonia, Samoa and Fiji.
PNG Football Supporters Club executive Joseph Ealedona urged all PNG citizens, PNG-linked business houses and friends in Honiara to support the team.
He thanked Bemobile Solomon Islands for supporting the team there.
PNG men’s captain Michael Forster is playing in the Solomon League and will be part of the management team.
The top two teams in the playoff will represent Oceania at the U17 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited backed the PNG U16s with a K20,000 injection for their OFC campaign.
Managing director Wapu Sonk said KPHL was happy to support the future of PNG football and wished the team well in the Solomon Islands urging them to play with their country at heart and be good ambassadors for PNG.
“From the brief in the request letter, I note this is the youth team PNG football will work around to prepare for the 2026 Fifa World Cup where the region will have one direct entry spot. This is an excellent opportunity for PNG to excel and aim towards and KPHL is prepared to support PNG head that way in football,” Sonk said.
PNGFA acting president John Wesley Gonjuan thanked KPHL, saying the support was timely and would boost the confidence of the players.
“This is our future in football and KPHL gives us confidence for the future and PNGFA will continue to work with KPHL going forward,” he said.
He announced the team was now officially known as the Kumul Petroleum PNG men’s U16 national football team.