The Papua New Guinea Men’s Olympic side is all in high spirits and excited for next week’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Fiji.
The side leaves for Lautoka on Sunday 24th February and national team coach George Cowie said that his side is ready to meet the competition and that they are well prepared.
“I do not like losing,” said Cowie. “The boys have performed well in the trial matches against two local NSL franchise teams in Port Moresby earlier this week and the games have given a lot of
confidence to the boys.”
Cowie said his side will play another friendly trial match in Fiji ahead of their opening match against the Solomon Islands on Macrh1.
“New Zealand is the major threat which we have been training hard for and I feel that the other national teams will be cool for us,” said Cowie.
“Our first game is very important and we have been putting in a lot of preparation for it.”
Team Captain David Muta is also very confident and feels that his boys will perform well at the Olympic tournament.
“Our training has been very good and very intense. We are very motivated to beat New Zealand and I believe our boys will strongly stand against them.”
“Most of our boys are new talents recruited from the PNG’s National Soccer League but they have a fighting spirit like mine and we will do the best for PNG,” said Muta.
The Papua New Guinea Squad:
Mathias Apo, Mathew Yang, Koriak Upaiga, Lawrence Moses, Cyril Muta, Fabian Bagi, Roniel Egins, Raymond Gunembea, Charlie Paranda, Rodney Talau, Anton Pipi, Samuel Kini, Gure Gabina, Jason
Wesley, William Mobbs, Winnie Tau, David Muta (C), Neil Hanz, Tarcissius Mandarip and Alex Davani. Mobbs and Davani are oversea based players and will joint the boys on their way to Fiji.
OFC Olympic Football Tournament Draw:
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Match Day 1
Kick-off Team
A Team B
14H00 New Zealand Fiji
16H30 Cook Islands
Vanuatu
19H00 Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Rest Day
Monday, 3 March 2008
Match Day 2
Kick-off Team
A Team B
14H30 Solomon Islands Cook Islands
17H00
Fiji Papua New Guinea
19H30
Vanuatu New Zealand
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
Rest Day
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Match Day 3
Kick-off Team
A Team B
14H30
Fiji Cook Islands
17H00 Papua New Guinea New Zealand
19H30 Solomon Islands Vanuatu
Thursday, 6 March 2008
Rest Day
Friday, 7 March 2008
Match Day 4
Kick-off Team
A Team B
14H30 New Zealand Solomon
Islands
17H00 Cook Islands Papua New
Guinea
19H30
Vanuatu Fiji
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Rest Day
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Match Day 5
Kick-off Team
A Team B
12H00 Cook Islands New
Zealand
14H30
Vanuatu Papua New Guinea
17H00 Solomon Islands Fiji