PNG Football Association President John Kapi Natto has warmly welcomed new men’s soccer Head Coach Marcos Gusmao who arrived in the country on Tuesday.
“On behalf of PNG Football Association Executive Committee Members, the PNGFA Management, MA Presidents and all the supporters of our football here in PNG, I would like to take this time before our Christmas period to warmly welcome our football instructor and head coach of the PNG men’s national squad, Marcus Gusmao all the way from Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America to our shores,” Mr Kapi Natto said.
Gusmao slipped into the country quietly to take up his new position as the new head coach.
Gusmao’s major task is to prepare the soccer national team for the FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifier in Qatar.
Apart from coaching and managing the national men’s soccer team, Marcos will also be tasked to assist PNGFA Technical division in formulating at Technical Development plan and will assist with implementation phase of the plan.
The Brazillian is no stranger to PNG when he came here in 2004 to prepare the men’s national team for the 2008 South Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa and that time.
“I was then appointed as the Team Manager as we prepared the National Team but unfortunately PNG men’s national team could not travel because it was ruled out by the PNGOC Justification committee for some reasons.”
He said Gusmao prepared the team for almost six months leaving with his assistant coaches of Bob Morris and Pius Letenge in the same residence as all Brazillians find it a normal thing to their culture. Gusmao is renowned for his hardness and no nonsense in coaching & preparing the national team under the captaincy of former PNG great Richard Daniel and other great players.
“I trust that Marcus will do his best with his assistant Bob Morris who is no stranger to Marcus as his former assistant and now to join him again is a great treat”.
Kapi Natto strongly urged the members of the men national soccer team to pay close attention to him as he brings his wealth of coaching techniques and skills to team.