By Scott Waide – EMTV News, Lae
The victorious Lae City Dwellers arrived yesterday afternoon at Lae’s Nadzab Airport to a rousing reception from more than 300 football crazy fans carrying Morobe province flags.
The army of fans lined the airport fence well before the Air Niugini flight arrived. A few minutes after 5pm, the Dwellers arrived and the crowd chanted like crazy.
About 10 minutes later, the Chief of Staff of the Morobe Governor’s office, Mala Ahi, emerged with the players bearing the NSL trophy. The crowd erupted in a frenzy.
Speaking upon arrival, a teary-eyed coach Peter Gunemba told EMTV he had not expected such a huge welcome for the team. He added that Morobe had shown that the province was truly the home of football. Later, a convoy of vehicles drove from Nadzab to Lae amid a noisy fanfare of blaring horns.
Along the way fans lines the road from the airport to the city. The 20 minute trip took the provincial football heroes past dancing women, screaming children and youths who ran toward the bus to greet the players.
The Morobe Provincial Government allocated K1million for the Dwellers in this year’s budget. That investment, according to Morobe football fans, paid off with the 2-0 win over Hekari United in the National Soccer League final on Saturday.
