Poro FC star striker Meagan Gunemba was not included in the 27-players squad due to personal reason. The squad was announced after completing their five-day camp at PNG Football Education Centre at 11-Mile outside Lae City recently.
PNG Women Coach Nicola Demaine clarified some misunderstanding on the selection process of the women’s training squad stating that all women players will be given chance including Meagan Gunemba.
Coach Demaine said talented women football players who missed out on first training camp still have a chance to put their hands up for selections by how they play in the upcoming Women National Soccer League.
The 27 players who attended the training camp were: Georgina Bakani, Ramona Padio, Charlie Banzeck, Nenny Elias, Kesai Katome, Ramona Morris, Olive Upaupa, Marreerose Wadunah, Sagude Zale, Isabella Natera, Phylus Pala, Rayleen Bauelua, Yvonne Gabong, Lavinia Hola, Lucy Maino, Sonia Embahe, Sharlom Waida, Marie Kaipu, Sera Waida, Fidelma Watpore, Arnolda Dou, Faith Kasiray, Asaiso Gossie, Joanne Uttie, Sharlyn Jagi, Juaneth Mistera and Bridgit Paime
Ms Demaine said she has seleted the players following a number of trials featuring players from inaugural Women National Soccer League. The players were flown into Lae from Port Moresby, Kimbe, Rabaul and Wewak while Lae, Madang and Ramu travel by road.
PNG women coach is also looking at Papua New Guineans based overseas to ensure we take the strongest team possible to the OFC Nations Cup.
The players were put through a full program with numerous fitness tests and tactical training sessions. A good mixture of experience and youth to ensure longevity of the program beyond the OFC nations cup.
“It was really good to get the players together and see how they fit as a group. We are following in the footsteps of some amazing female players and took time at camp to understand the past success of the Papua New Guinea Womens National Team.
“We are at a starting point, so the camp was as much about assessment as it was about learning tactics and habits that we want to take forward.
“We made excellent progress this week in terms of who we want to be as a group and how we want to play. Each player put in a great effort and I was very pleased with what I saw,” she said.
The 2022 OFC Women’s Nations Cup is the pre-World Cup 2023 for the women’s national teams of the Oceanian region. It was originally scheduled from July to August 2022, but was moved to January and February 2022 to accommodate changes to the FIFA Women’s International Match Calendar. The OFC announced on 4 March 2021 that it was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and would take place from 5 to 31 July 2022.
The tournament will serve as Oceania’s qualifiers to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. With New Zealand having already qualified automatically for the World Cup as a co-host, the best-placed team besides New Zealand will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.
The inter-confederation play-offs of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification will determine the final three qualification spots for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The play-off tournament will be used as a test event for Australia and New Zealand to host prior to the Women’s World Cup.
It will take place from 17 to 23 February 2023,[1] and will feature ten teams split into three groups, with the winner of each group qualifying for the Women’s World Cup. Australia and New Zealand will also participate in friendlies against the teams in Group 1 and Group 2 of the tournament.