We’ll be competitive: Veratau

CHAIRMAN of the newly established soccer club in the NSL Highlands Conference says his side are keen to showcase their local talent in the country’s top soccer competition.
Kagua Erave FC chairman Albert Veratau, said they had assembled a competitve side — although he did not name the side — which could drive the team to a new level of excitement and competition in the province.
“We want to play competitive and quality games, we don’t play to make up numbers,” Veratau said.
“We have the services of one of best coach (Steven Mune) who is also a former representative player and trainer and our squad is balance with local Southern highlands players and talent from outside.”
Veratau said the selection was made according to the trial matches held over the Christmas period and the squad was now training at the National Sports institute in Goroka.
He said selecting local players was a priority.
“We have selected 13 players from the Kagua and Erave districts who are in the camp and we would like to rotate and mix with the experienced and skilled players we have selected from other provinces and clubs,” he said.
Veratau said the club would not release their player list until after NSL was launched and draw put out.
“We will not disclose our squad at this stage until the competition draw is release,” Veratau, a former PNGRFL chairman, said.
The squad started training on Tuesday and the final squad would be out before the game starts later this month.
Club parton and Kagua Erave MP Wesley Raminai said having a club in the NSL Highlands Conference would hopefully spur more youths to take up soccer.
“We started at the grassroots level and most importantly at children level and exposing the hidden talents to the national level,” Raminai said.
The Sports Vice Minister said he would focus on soccer in his electorate but would also support a rugby league team from the electorate to play in the Digicel Cup.