PNG Hekari FC coach Marcos Gusmao has praised his side’s fighting spirit despite suffering another late defeat, this time going down narrowly to league leaders Auckland FC in a hard-fought OFC Pro League encounter.

Hekari were minutes away from securing a valuable point before conceding late in the match, continuing a frustrating trend of last-minute setbacks.

After the match, Gusmao said, “I think we worked really hard during the week. We knew Auckland FC are a strong team, but we came here with a good spirit and a mindset to fight until the final whistle.”

“Unfortunately, we were unlucky again and lost in the last few minutes.”

Asked about the refereeing, Gusmao took a measured stance, acknowledging some questionable decisions while stressing the need to move forward.

“This is football. The final decisions are made by the referees.”

“Some calls, I think, can improve, but that is their job. We just need to focus on doing our job as a team.”

Hekari made several changes to their starting line-up, including the return of experienced midfielder Raymond Gunemba, who had been rested during the team’s campaign in New Zealand.

Gusmao explained, “We made some slight changes. Raymond is one of our experienced players, and we brought him in to help lead the boys.”

“That’s football, sometimes you change, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Despite the loss, Gusmao highlighted positives from his squad’s performance, while admitting concentration and fitness remain areas of concern.

“The boys played well, but there was a lack of concentration in the final moments.”

“When you play against a good team that has been together for a long time, one chance is enough.”

“We need to improve our fitness and our organization, especially against strong opponents.”

At half-time, Gusmao’s message to the players was clear.

“Keep going, keep pushing, keep going forward.”

“We tried to get at least one goal, but it didn’t happen. That’s football.”

Meanwhile, the coach also addressed a VAR incident involving Rex, where an initial red card was downgraded to a yellow after review.

“The referee gave the red card, then reviewed it and decided it wasn’t that serious,” Gusmao said. 

“That decision was made after the reference.”

Late substitutions were made in injury time as Hekari pushed for an equaliser, a move Gusmao said was planned.

“We needed speed up front.”

“Our strikers were tired, so we brought on young players to add pace and try to create one chance.” 

“It is also an opportunity for the young boys to show they want to play.”

Looking ahead, Hekari will face Vanuatu United in a mid-week fixture, with Gusmao expecting another tough contest.

“It does not stop,” he said.

“Vanuatu are also fighting for points, just like us.”

“We need to go back, organise ourselves, and work hard — especially on our finishing.”

“If we can improve that, hopefully we will do our best.”

Hekari return to training immediately as they prepare for Tuesday’s clash against Vanuatu in the OFC Pro League.