Nigel Dabinyaba has joined the Western Pride from Lae City Dwellers where he won this year’s Papua New Guinea National Soccer League Championship.
He left last month to join the Pride in Australia, which is a first division club that competes in the National Premier League.
Dabinyaba added a touch of international class to Western Pride’s win over Moreton Bay United at Briggs Road Sporting Complex.
The PNG International striker forced several saves from Jets keeper Matt Stein before Mitchell Bird found the back of the net. Western Pride went on to win 1-0.
In June he scored three times in PNG’s run to the OFC Nations Cup Grand Final where a fairytale finish was only saddened in a penalty shootout to regional heavyweights New Zealand.
Western Pride Coach Graham Harvey was a keen observer of the tournament and said he had been impressed by Dabinyaba.
Pride has been developing close ties to the Oceania region with the club having played both PNG and New Zealand national teams at the Briggs Road Sporting Complex in the past two years.
Dabinyaba is believed to be the first current international in the history of the Queensland National Premier Leagues competition.
He is also the second capped international to play for Pride after foundation coach and ex-Socceroo Kasey Wehrman fielded himself in a handful of games.
