SOKA PNG

09/10/2024

Thursday 10th October 2024
OFC

It's match day in beautiful Suva!

Group A at the FIFA World Cup 26™ Oceania Qualifiers gets underway today, with Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands all in action.

🇫🇯 🇫🇷🇳🇨 🇵🇬 🇸🇧

Who are you backing?

Watch all the action LIVE and FREE on FIFA+
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08/10/2024

PAPUA New Guinea Football Federation President, John Kapi Natto, has expressed concern over the lack of government support for the Papua New Guinea national football team, the Kapuls, as they departed for Fiji yesterday for the first leg of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Read more: https://thepngbulletin.com/sports/kapi-natto-raises-concern-over-lack-of-funding-for-national-team/

07/10/2024

7TH OCTOBER 2024
PNGFA

DEPARTURE | The 🇵🇬 National Team jets off this morning to Fiji for the FIFA World Cup 2026™️ Oceania Qualifiers.

Papua New Guinea will play New Caledonia on Thursday 10 October at 4:00 pm at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

18/09/2024

PNGFA

Match Schedules for Oceania Qualifiers | FIFA WORLD CUP 2026

Hi All find below is the Schedule for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for Oceania Football Confederation that will take place in Fiji and Papua New Guinea

The Excitement is that winner of the OFC Qualifiers gets direct entry to the World Cup while the runner- up has to play continental playoffs to secure a spot.

Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬 will host the 2nd Leg of the Qualifiers in November. Stay Tuned for more updates

14/08/2024

13th August, 2024
by Yewande Fasan
The Nation

Burna Boy launches football academy

Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy, has launched a football academy with training centres in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

The academy aims to create an environment where young players can learn the fundamentals of football, combined with education, discipline, and technique, to excel in life beyond the sport.

According to the academy’s website, the program is open to players aged 4-15 and 16-21, with training sessions three days a week, lasting two hours per session.

The academy has partnered with several top-tier football clubs, including Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspurs, Leicester City, and Brighton from the English Premier League, as well as Watford from the Championship and Scottish clubs Hearts and Hamilton.

According to the statement on their website, the academy’s vision is to engage parents in sports education, emphasising its importance alongside academic pursuits.

“We aim to create an environment where kids can learn the fundamentals of football, combined with education, discipline, and technique, to excel in life beyond the sport.

“We strive to engage parents in sports education, emphasising its importance alongside academic pursuits.”

With two centers in Lagos, Lekki and Surulere, as well as Abuja and Port Harcourt, the academy has already seen success, with results from seven friendly matches showing four wins, two defeats, and a draw.

Burna Boy’s football academy is a significant investment in the development of young football talent in Nigeria, providing a platform for players to hone their skills and potentially secure a future in the sport.

22/07/2024

FootballPlus

Spain's Head Coach, Luis de la Fuente becomes the First ever Coach to win the :

✅U19 Euros 🏆🇪🇦
✅U21 Euros 🏆🇪🇦
✅2023 Uefa Nations League 🏆🇪🇦
✅2024 European Championship 🏆🇪🇦

19/07/2024

🟢Champions Argentina Bagged $16 Million USD Prize Money For Winning The Copa America

Prize Money The Breakdown

All 16 Copa America Qualified Teams gets $72 million dollars for participating

Each Of The 16 Teams Gets $2 million for competing.

Fourth position | Canada get $4 million dollars

Third Position | Uruguay gets $5 million dollars

Runner -up | Colombia go away with $7 million dollars

Champion Argentina bagged $16 million dollars,.

How the prize money is being distributed-

The prize money given to each teams will be distributed among players, coaching staff, and of course, a good part goes to the coffers of the respective national federation.

18/07/2024

Oceania World Cup 2026 path revealed

Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea drawn in Group A

Group B comprises New Zealand, Tahiti, Vanuatu and the round one winner

Matches commence in September 2024

The path to the FIFA World Cup 26™ for Oceania’s 11 member associations has been laid out following the preliminary qualification draw, held at the Home of FIFA in Zurich.

For the first time, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has a direct slot for the FIFA World Cup, with an additional berth available via the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off Tournament.

The second round features two groups of four nations, with each nation facing each other once in matches played in October and November, 2024. The top two in each group then progress to the decisive third round, set to be played in March, 2025.

The third round winner progresses directly to the World Cup 26, while the runners-up secure an Intercontinental Play-off Tournament berth.

Of the region’s current members, only New Zealand has previously appeared at a World Cup, in 1982 and 2010. The All Whites were slotted into Group B, alongside Tahiti, Vanuatu and the winner of the first round.

The Solomon Islands were the other top seed for the draw and they headline Group A, which also features Fiji, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.

Draw results

GROUP A: Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea

GROUP B: Aotearoa New Zealand, Tahiti, Vanuatu, Winner Round One (American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga)

Match schedule

Round One: September 2024

Round Two: October and November 2024

Round Three: March 2025

12/07/2024

PNG U-19 suffered loss
By Gabriel Katuho

THE Papua New Guinea Under-19 men’s team suffered a tremendous loss to New Zealand today (Friday, July 12) in the Oceania Under-19 championships in Samoa.

The New Zealand team displayed dominant football, outplaying the PNG Under-19 team with a 5-0 lead by halftime.

Despite their best efforts, the PNG side could not match the standard of football presented by the New Zealand players. PNG struggled to build a strong defense to protect their territory from New Zealand’s relentless attacks.

New Zealand's teamwork overwhelmed the PNG players, resulting in five goals in the first half and five more in the second half, culminating in a 10-0 defeat over the full 80 minutes.

So far, PNG Under-19 has lost three games in their campaign. They were defeated 3-1 by Samoa in their opening match, 2-1 by New Caledonia, and faced a staggering 10-0 loss to New Zealand.

Papua New Guinea Under-19 head coach Steven Mune spoke to OFC media after PNG's 2-1 loss to New Caledonia two days ago.
“Trailing 1-0 at halftime, we fought back and equalized, but then we just switched off and they took their chances,” he said.

Mune said he had instructed his team to focus on strong defensive play against New Zealand, but the result did not reflect this strategy.

07/07/2024

David Beckham on Lamine Yamal after the Georgia 🆚 Spain match👇

🗣️ "Someone needs to check Lamine's ID and confirm he is only 16 years old because what we are witnessing makes us believe this boy is 25 and has reached an unimaginable level of maturity."

🗣️ "Everyone sees what he delivers on the pitch, but no one talks about his character. He plays as if the matches are friendlies, without any pressure, and he is only 16. He has played in the Champions League, La Liga, and the Euros as if he has been playing football for the past 10 years."

🗣️ "The world will not be ready in two or three years if Lamine reaches his peak. Football has indeed gained a great player because what Lamine does is unbelievable."

Unreal talent 🔥🔥🔥

07/07/2024

05/07/2024

TRIBUTE TO LATE WALBO KOMUNA OF LAE CITY FC

Lae City FC loses a rising back liner as Season 2024 of Papua New Guinea’s National Premier League starts tomorrow. This would have been his 6th consecutive year with Lae City Football Club cementing stopper post in the Lae City Authority sponsored franchise backline.

His best is yet to come in a few more seasons as it’s just starting to unravel. In his own words, he knew the horizons of soccer were far more promising out there, yet unreachable.

Today the Lae City FC and its management is in great sorrow for the loss of one of its key players, the late Walbo Komuna who passed away earlier in the week, on Wednesday 06th July 2024. We would like to confirm that until the untimely passing away of Walbo Komuna, he was an integral team member of Lae City FC.

Late Walbo played his final season with Lae City FC bowing out of the quarter final last season (2023). He joined the club in 2019 as a mid-fielder and pushed to the flanks then finally settling down holding the turf at the Lae City FC’s backline.

Late Walbo rose to the occasion with Lae City FC participating in the 2020 OFC qualifiers in Vanuatu then in 2022 OFC qualifiers in New Zealand. As said and even he knew it himself, the best was yet to come for him and in the game, he loved the most, late Walbo was just starting to make a name for him in PNG soccer getting a first call to the PNG national team in 2022 and thereafter.

But the most remarkable achievement was knowing that he had to fill in big shoes left behind in the Lae City FC backline in season 2023. A call up that was inevitable since he joined in 2019. And sure, did he put in all effort and especially when the task was dwarfing his size, late Walbo never shown any signs of being over powered. Nor did he ever regret the responsibility.

He was calm as always when the tide shifts, and slows to anger when left alone to defend the goal mouth. Lae City FC captain Ronald Warisan says late Walbo stood out amongst the rest to be different, staying away from drugs and alcohol and had little time to socialize with his peers.

Warisan said knowing Walbo was in front of him at the goalmouth came down to trust and it all goes back to late Walbo’s humbleness and commitment to the team both on and off the field.

“He has been with us all throughout the fight, even when he was down. The reality of his absence has already sipped in and he is an asset to the team to be missed forever,” Warisan said. Late Walbo is 29 years of age from mixed parentage Nabak in Morobe and the Central province and grew up at the University of Technology rising to captain the Unitech based Sobou FC whilst playing for Lae City FC.

In tomorrow’s season 2024 opener, the Lae City FC team dedicated the game to its player number 21, the late Walbo Komuna.

Rest in Peace.

05/07/2024

PREMIER LEAGUE SET TO KICK OFF

THE delayed 2024 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season is scheduled to kick off this weekend with eight clubs participating in the competition.

The official launching of the season took place yesterday at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby.

The launching ceremony was jointly officiated by the Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA) President, John Kapi Natto, and PNG Sports Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Micah James.

Mr. Natto highlighted the significance of the competition and urged the participating clubs and players to play with honor and respect.

“Let’s not just take it as a league but a celebration of football that brings us together as one,” Natto said.

“Our soccer or football is more than just a sport; it is a language that transcends boundaries and unites people from all walks of life,” he added.

Mr Natto said: “Football embodies the values of teamwork, perseverance and passion that we hold dear.”

“This weekend, we embark on a path that that will showcase the immense talents and dedication of our eight clubs and its players.”

He said some maybe making their first appearance in this high-level of football with others continue to add values to their clubs.

“We want to make this league as a testament to the power of dreams and beliefs that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible,” Mr Natto remarked.

“Throughout this coming season, we will witness fierce competition, breathtaking goals and unforgettable moments that will echo not only throughout the season but beyond.

“The thrill of the game, let us remember the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie that defines our game of football.

“I call upon all players to compete with honor, respect the opponents and inspire the next generations of footballers with their skills and sportsmanship.

“To our fans, I urged you all to support the club with passion and pride but also with respect for the games and its participants.

“As we kick off this season, let us remember that we are not just launching a season but we are creating and leaving dreams and legacy for the future.

“May the passion and dedication that each player brings to the field of play ignite the flames of inspiration in all of us.”

Mr. Natto also highlighted the significance of the recently launched PNGFA’s Small-Medium Enterprise (SME) called the ‘PNG Football Solution’.

He said this business arm which will gradually manage the men’s PSL, including women’s in collaboration with PNGFA Competition Department.

“This establishment fulfills the five (5) pillars of PNGFA to generate income,” Natto said.

“Not only that but when the OFC Pro League is launched at the end of 2025, by 2026 we will see our dreams in the Oceania become a reality when we kick off our Men Pro League competition.

“So, many time critics says where is the pathway of our football or soccer, well I have just answered it,” Mr Natto said.

“So, let the season begin and let us celebrate the power of soccer or football to bring us together to inspire us and to fill our hearts with joy.”

05/07/2024

Admiralty Islands FC enters top soccer comp

By GABRIEL KATUHO

WITH strong support from the provincial government, Manus province has brought in a team to participate in the 2024 Premier Soccer League (PSL).

After the Launching of the 2024 PSL season yesterday at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, team captain for Admiralty Islands FC, Nigel Yohang shared the insight of the team.

Mr Yohang said the provincial government has supported the team to ensure the team enters the 2024 PSL season.

“Even we were out of the league for so long, the provincial government knew that the future of the province lies in the youths and so it has come forward to back the team,” he said.

Yohang said soccer competition in the province has been confined at village level, however, through the provincial government’s support they have the provincial team ready to enter the Premier League competition to showcase their local talent.

Team manager Torrie Popot acknowledged the President of Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA), Mr John Kapi Natto for accepting the team to take part in the 2024 PSL.

“I want to also thank Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin, for his development pathway initiative in developing and supporting sports in the province,” he said.

Popot said Governor Benjamin has committed K1million in helping the team to register for the competition.

He spoke highly of the Governor’s support in making sure soccer competitions in the province is active and running so that the franchise can scout players from the local competitions in the province.

“I want to thank the good governor for the initiative in putting in place the player development program and supporting local competitions in the province.

“This is one way that will reduce crime rates as the youths will be kept occupied in playing sports,” Popot said.

Admiralty Islands Football Club is the only club in the New Guinea Island region to take part in the 2024 Premier Soccer League.

The club will be based in Lae and compete in the Premier league while awaiting their facilities being upgraded.

Popot said that the team is looking at putting up a strong competition and aims at making to the top four in the competition.

The 2024 Premer Soccer League (PSL) season is scheduled to kick off this weekend in Lae and Port Moresby respectively.

Admiralty Islands football club is one of the eight participating clubs that will be showcasing their talents in the 2024 PSL competition.

26/06/2024

N'GOLO KANT'E SUPPORTING CHARITY THROUGH FOOTBALL WAGES

French midfielder Kanté is earning €100M per season at Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad. The 3rd highest paid player in the league

Kante has been using his wages to help build schools, hospitals and football startups across Mali and other places.

N'Golo Kanté (born 29 March 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad and the France national team. Known for his work rate and defensive acumen,[4][5][6] he has been cited as one of the best midfielders of his generation.[7]

Kanté made his senior professional debut with Boulogne in 2012, appearing as a substitute in one Ligue 2 match, and played an entire season in the third division the following year. After that he joined Ligue 2 side Caen on a free transfer, finished third and won promotion to Ligue 1. He stayed with the club for one more year, where he helped lead the team to a mid-table finish. In 2015, Kanté joined Leicester City for a fee worth £5.6 million.

Kanté was an integral part of the Leicester City team that were surprise Premier League champions in 2016. The following year, he joined Chelsea for a fee worth £32 million and again won the league, making him the first outfield player to win consecutive English league titles with different clubs since Eric Cantona in 1992 and 1993.[8] With Chelsea he has won the FA Cup, the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. He would play 7 seasons for Chelsea, before leaving on a free transfer to Saudi club Al-Ittihad during the summer of 2023.

Individually, Kante has been awarded the Premier League Player of the Season, the PFA Players' Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year, the UEFA Men's Midfielder of the year, and the Trophées UNFP for Best French Player Abroad twice.

Kanté made his senior international debut for France in 2016 and was included in the squad that finished runners-up at the 2016 European Championship. In 2017, Kanté was named the French Player of the Year, a first for a player from the Premier League in seven years, and twelve months later was a key member of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winning squad.

More updates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N'Golo_Kant%C3%A9

26/06/2024

Former Women’s league player returns home and register team to help Finschhafen girls. A former Port Moresby Strikers women’s football club player in the national conference league is a current force behind Torrens Football Club taking part in the 2024 Finschhafen Urban Soccer Association competition.

The 25-year-old striker Dondorah Tiriec was a member of University SC taking part in PMSA and went on to playing in the WNS while studying in UPNG. However, she left and went back home due to personal reasons and is now the founder of Torrents football club.

“I came back home and saw all the other teams competing have experienced players and there was a need for younger players with no experience that are also interested to play I decided to form Torrents FC consisting of all the younger girls,” Tiriec said.

“Most of those young girls have dropped out of the education system and other who could not afford furthering their education are in my team.” Reigning from the area alone fast flowing Mape River Tiriec named the team Torrens FC to reflect where she comes from.

There is a total of eight women’s teams competing in the women’s division this year and they will be heading into round two this weekend after completion of round one last weekend. Torrents FC has recorded three wins, three draws and one defeat in round one and are eager for round two.

24/06/2024

Monday 24th June, 2024

PNG Kapuls end their campaign
By GABRIEL KATUHO

PNG Kapuls have ended their 2024 OFC Men’s Nation Cup campaign after finishing off at the final stage of group B category.

The Papua New Guinea National Football Team (Kapuls) fought to the end at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, however, a one-point victory was not enough to keep them alive for the campaign.

Meanwhile, Kapuls head coach Warren Moon acknowledged his players for their performance.

He said they (Kapuls) did well but could not get the expected points.

“Look, we needed a bit more to win the game, at least two or three goals to give us of chance,” Moon said.

“Probably Fiji have to win by five against the Tahiti, so, it’s unlikely, not impossible,” he added.

Coach Moon highlighted that probably few unforeseen injuries and technical changes have caused the team to exit from the campaign.

He said the 2 points nil should have pushed the team up for the third and fourth, however, Tahiti goal against them had crushed the chance.

The coach said PNG’s victory pushed them to match Tahiti in the ladder, however, the 1 point to nil defeat by Fiji against Tahiti helped Tahiti to advance into the semi-finals while leaving PNG out of the competition.

“For me I’m proud of the group because of the way we have come back and put those four points in our last two games,” he said.

“In most areas four points is enough to put you up the group but the goal difference is what’s going to count on us so it is unlikely,” Coach Moon reiterated.

The coach expressed his gratitude to the players who have shown resilience throughout the campaign.

He points out that the country needs to have more competitions in their calendar to get the players involved in the game and have them active in the game all year around.

Moon said compared to Australia and New Zealand, there are more competitions all year round than the players play in the competition, so, in the event of big competitions, they are ready to play.

The coach said he is in talks with PNGFA to make sure this this idea is endorsed and brought forward to integrate it with PNGFA calendar so that there is more competitions in the country to keep the performance high.

22/06/2024

Photo Credit: OFC Media via Kirk Corrie

Papua New Guinea gave themselves every chance of qualifying for the semi-finals at the OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024 with a narrow victory over Samoa at HFC Bank Stadium, Suva.

Nothing less than three points would suffice for Warren Moon’s side, with the result in the later clash between Fiji and Tahiti deciding their fate.

Ryan Stewart made a number of changes to his Samoa side, who had already been eliminated, including bringing in goalkeeper Luke Taupau for this tournament debut.

It was the Samoans that started brightly, with the excellent Jarvis Vaai causing Papua New Guinea problems. The midfielder with an effort deflected wide in the early stages as they looked to end their campaign on a high.

Desperate for the win, Papua New Guinea slowly grew into the match, with Ati Kepo and Tommy Semmy to the fore in their attacking endeavours.

It was the latter who would provide the breakthrough. An excellent run and cut back from Jethro Yumange found Semmy on the penalty spot and he made no mistake in drilling a first-time effort past Taupau to make it 1-0.

More was required for Warren Moon’s team though, as they sought to eat into Tahiti’s superior goal difference.

A crucial second arrived in the early stages of the second period, thanks to a combination from the Kepo brother. Kolu releasing Ati with an excellent through ball and the forward made no mistake, tucking the ball under Taupau to double the lead.

Semmy went close to a second just after the hour mark when given plenty of time and space on the edge of the area but the powerful forward could only curl his effort over the bar.

Samoa came to life minutes later and after Niko Steinmetz found Luke Tolo-Kent, the full-back’s excellent cross was headed in from close range by Pharrell Trainor to halve the arrears.

Knowing that a single goal victory wasn’t likely to be enough in their bid to reach the final four, Papua New Guinea poured forward but were continually frustrated by a resolute and hard-working Samoan backline.

The victory takes Papua New Guinea level on points with Tahiti, who face Fiji in the day’s second match. For Warren Moon’s side to progress however, they will be keeping their fingers crossed for a big win from the co-hosts.

Samoa: 1 (Pharrell TRAINOR 67′)
Papua New Guinea: 2 (Tommy SEMMY 28′, Ati KEPO 47′)