Papua New Guinea Women’s football team left for Samoa for the XIII South Pacific Games at the Grane Palace brimming with confidence they will be able to retain the gold
medal they won in 2003 – and nab an Olympic Games qualifying play-off against New Zealand into the bargain.
Papua New Guinea Football Association Executive committee member, Linda Wonuhali presented the team’s new playing kit at the
Grane Palace Restaurant in Port Moresby.
Wonuhali said Papua New Guinea had trust and belief in the quality of the team to provide a repeat performance in winning the Women’s Football
Tournament.
“It is a difficult challenge to win the gold medal again but the team has good quality and did well at the OFC Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament in Lae in
April”, she said.
Addressing the players, Wonuhali said, “You have the hopes of Papua New Guinea on your shoulders and we know you will play with passion and commitment in Samoa.”
In the mean time, new team coach, Francis Moyap said the team was well prepared for the rigours of a gold medal defence despite the loss of former coach Marcos
Gusmao.
” I think this team needs the moral support from the people of Papua New Guinea and I ask this country to believe in the team.
We have very experienced players in this squad and they know what to expect and how to adapt to the conditions in Samoa.
“Almost all the players in the team have tasted international matches, and the foreign turfs in Samoa will not be new to them,” Moyap
said.
Moyap said he was delighted with team’s ability to adapt to tactical changes with many of his players capable of playing in two positions.
“We have very skillful strikers like Daisy Winas, Lydia Barnabas, Deslyn Siniu and Cathy Agunam ,” Moyap
said.
Moyap said the experience of competing at the South Pacific Games – Fiji 2003 and OFC Women’s World Cup qualifying competition were invaluable experiences with many of
Papua New Guinea’s opponents either new to international competition or coming out of cold storage for these games.
Under previous coach Marcos Gusmao Papua New Guinea deployed a 3-5-2 formation with Daisy Winas and Cathy Agunam providing the width in a system designed for the attacking
wingbacks to bomb forward from deep positions.
Against Tonga and Solomon Islands this worked to great effect but was found to be untenable against the fitness and technical superiority of New Zealand.
With Papua New Guinea’s opponents unlikely to be of the same calibre as FIFA Women’s World Cup-bound New Zealand, Moyap’s team could once again find themselves too strong for
the rest of the field.
Rangy striker Deslyn Siniu blasted a hat-trick against Solomon Islands with Daisy Winas tormenting defenders with devastating crosses with both feet. If Siniu gets the same
service opposition goalkeepers can expect to be kept busy.
Papua New Guinea starts its South Pacific Games/Olympic Games campaign against American Samoa on Saturday 25 AUgust, kick-off 1230hrs ST.
Papua New Guinea Squad: Roxen Komeng, Linda Bunaga, Miriam Lanta, Caroline Moeder, Catherine Horris, Helen Baki, Margaret Aka, Julie Alau (C), Daisy Winas, Lydia Barnabas,
Samantha Peninsa, Cathy Agunam, Tracy Kig, Ara Midi, Pricilla Honolali, Judith Sauto and Deslyn Siniu.
Coach:Francis Moyap
Team manager: Maggie Taligatus.