The PNG under 16 boys’ soccer team have left today for the OFC U16 Qualifying Tournament in Tonga next week. The tournament will kick off on the 13th of April at Loto-Tonga Soka Centre, Nuku’alofa. PNG is an unseeded country in this age-group competition, where they will need to play for the qualifying tournament and then qualify for the championships to be played in Tahiti. The PNG U16 team is made up off Alexander Posiri, Harry Araga (goalkeepers), Railako Valu, Joshua Malaburgh, Seth Tade, Waterhouse Waiwai, Leightan Enoch, Alban Rani, Tyler Niebo, Hyman Wemin, Israel Ure, Wane Maninare, Taunama Sergeant, Ethan Geita, Nathaniel Ovia, Henry Bae Jnr, Timothy Pepson, Edmund Bwaina and Philemon Deilala. Official: Coach Marty Terry, Assistant Coach Mathias Apo, Manager Dennis Kossie Java, Goalkeeper David Kaura. Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, American Samoa, and host Tonga will compete at the Qualifying Tournament for a place in the OFC Championship to be held in Tahiti from July 28-10 August. The 4 teams will play each other in round robin format over 3 match days. The winner will join New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, and Samoa in Papeeter, Tahiti. New Zealand, Vanuatu, Fiji and Cook Islands have been drawn in Group A with New Caledonia, Samoa, Tahiti and the Qualifying Winner in Group B. Group A will kick-off with New Zealand vs Vanuatu and Fiji vs Cook Islands while Group B begins with New Caledonia and Tahiti versus Qualifying winner. The winner and runner up will represent Oceania at the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2025.