The Port Moresby Soccer Association has taken the title of Southern Regional soccer champions once again, to represent the Southern Region in the finals of the Besta FA Cup in Lae in September.
Four associations participated in the tournament: defending champions Port Moresby Soccer Association, Tabubil Soccer Association, Nawone Soccer Association, Kiunga and hosts Higaturu Oil Palm Soccer Association in the Oro province.
Defending champion, PMSA, took on host Higaturu Oil Palm Soccer Association Team 1 in the opening match that ended in a draw for the men and a win for the PMSA women over the same opposition.
Matches continued from Friday to Sunday, seeing the top four teams going into semi-finals for the final playoff.
The men's saw 4th place’s HOPSA 2 get 1st place, sending Tabubil packing, after defeating them 7 goals to 5 in a penalty shootout. Third place’s PMSA proved too strong for 2nd place HOPSA 1, burying them 2-0.
In the women's, PMSA, with an experienced side, trashed HOPSA 2 5-0 and HOPSA 1 faced a stiff challenge from Tabubil beating them 1-0 to face PMSA in the final.
The finals were played on Monday, with the first game played between PMSA women and HOPSA 1 women. From the kick-off, the PMSA women in white dominated the possession and launch of their attack to run past HOPSA 1 in yellow with six unanswered goals.
The men’s final was played after the women’s final, seeing home team HOPSA 2 in red and defending champion, PMSA in white, go head to head.
In the first 20 minutes, both teams started in a strong and a very competitive battle. PMSA had started to dominate possession and manage to get to their opponents’ territory to score two quick goals but the break-down in their defence saw the home team equalize before they went out for break.
Coming back from the second half, the city boys punished the home team, sinking one past the goal keeper to retain the Southern Region title once again.
PMSA men and women are now qualified to represent Southern Region for the second time in Lae for the Besta FA Cup finals in September which also includes men’s runner up HOPSA 2.
They will be competing against winners from Momase, Highlands and Islands region.
In a closing remark, Tournament Director Simon Koima thanked the crowd for their behaviour throughout the tournament and acknowledged the host president, Mato Nasingom, and the LOC and most of all, Governor Gary Juffa, for making funds available for the tournament.
Host President Mato Nasingom closed the tournament by thanking Oro Governor Gary Juffa, along with the three associations PMSA, Tabubil and Nawone (Kiunga) for making themselves available for the tournament.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=wLkB9XA0yRs%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
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