Fernandes, who accompanied the PNG U-23 team to the MNC Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia as a coach mentor late last year, believes there is potential in the young players and it will only get better if there are more matches with neighbouring confederations.
The team with two senior squad members in Hekari FC’s Koriak Upaiga and Gigira Laitepo Morobe FC Eluid Fugre lost all three matches to the Maldives 1-0, Laos 3-1 and 6-0 to a classy Indonesian outfit.
Fernandes, who was in PNG on behalf of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to assess and assist in the setting up of the PNGFA academy programme in Lae, was given the opportunity to travel with the team at the invitation of the PNGFA.
”It was unfortunate, I only had one session with the boys the day before we travelled and they only had four days together as a group, but they still fought gamely,” Fernandes said.
”I commend the boys for their efforts, in any other match at this level the team that is behind usually folds up and concentrates on defending.
“I’m proud of the boys as they never stopped attacking and continually opened up their game to the last whistle,” he said.
“Papua New Guineans certainly play a different brand or style of football and I believe you should not change. Whilst there certainly was a class difference I believe one way to improve is to measure players individually and collectively to improve in order to compete at this level,” he added.
”If your technical people can devise a system based on ball possession while maintaining its style and further moulding the players to improve in terms of defence, attack and finishing, you will slowly improve,” he said.
Fernandes said there is little room for any mistakes at this level and teams will be punished if they don’t control the error rate.
He said the PNGFA coaching staffs have to develop a strategy to minimise mistakes while improving on technical skills.