Women’s train-on squad in Southern to play trials

NATIONAL women’s football train-on squad members in the Southern Conference will have another trial match today at Port Moresby’s Papua New Guinea Football Stadium, following the first one on Tuesday.
Head coach Nicola Demaine, who arrived in Port Moresby last Friday, was present for the trial on Tuesday.
From the 80-man train-on squad, Demaine will make a final selection for the Oceania Football Confederation Women’s Nations Cup scheduled for the middle of next year.
Earlier this month, Northern Conference-based squad members had a trial in Lae while awaiting advice from Demaine.
PNG Football Association general secretary Pius Letenge said Demaine was already in the process of finalising the team.
“The Northern group has already been trimmed,” he told The National yesterday.
“Now Demaine is working with the Southern players.
“As part of trimming the squad, she will be travelling to Wewak tomorrow to visit the eight Sepik players training there and decide which of them will join the squad.
“For those in Kimbe, they will be flown to Port Moresby to join the rest of the squad.
“Demaine is in the process of assembling a final squad that will go into camp either in Port Moresby or Lae.”
When asked how many players will be in the final squad, Letenge said Fifa’s requirement for tournaments like the Nations Cup was 25 players.
“But for the training squad, that would depend on the head coach,” he said.
“It’s good to have at least 30 players in the final squad to allow the coach to assess their performance before selecting the final 25.
“We are also appointing a local coach to assist Demaine.
“The train-on squad have been training under local coaches, so that’s something for them to look forward to.”
Meanwhile, Letenge said with the Women’s National Soccer League season coming up in February, players would be released back to their clubs.