PNG Football Association has to comply with new requirements set by the Deputy Controller of National Pandemic for Covid-19 in order for affiliated sports federation to hold their competitions.
PNG General Secretary Pius Letenge said National Control Centre has issued the following new requirements for compliance of affiliated sports federation so PNGFA must comply to stage its competition.
In a letter dated, June 14, 2021, by Deputy Controller Dr. Daoni Esorom to all national sporting federations and their affiliate to apply the following measures to run their competition;
- Approved Covid-19 Protocol for each sports from NCC
- No Spectators allowed during the competitions until further notice
- All players and officials should be vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine in order to partake in the competition.
Letenge acknowledged the new measures stating that PNGFA and the Competition Department will now have to stage its premier men’s football competition, the National Soccer League in two conferences.
“We will not have a home-and-away NSL competition due to the fact that majority of the players do not want to be vaccinated. Unless all teams agreed to be vaccinated then there will be home-and-away competition,” he said.
Secondly Mr Letenge said PNGSF Pandemic Management Committee (PMC) should conduct more awareness amongst sporting federation which create more uncertainty amongst the players.
PNGFA want to see the premier competition takes place by allowing the football matches to be played in Lae and Port Moresby only.
The General Secretary said PNGFA Secretariat now will invite all 14 clubs who have submitted their EOI to be part of the new-look NSL Conference competition with seven (7) teams playing up in the Northern Conference while the other half in the Southern Conference.
The Northern Conference will see Sepik FC, Tusbab Stallions FC, Lae City FC, Lae City Dwellers FC, FC Morobe Wawens, Morobe United FC and Northern Development Team.
The Southern Conference will see Port Moresby Strikers FC, Hekari United FC , Star Mountain FC, Gulf Komara FC, Central Dabara FC, Tavur FC and Southern Development Team.
With the matches now to be played in the two Conferences, PNGFA Secretariat have reduced the K80,000 fee to K51,500, per team to take part in the conferences.
PNGFA will refund those clubs that have paid up their full affiliation and at the same time send out new invoices of K51,500 to clubs that are yet to pay their affiliations and players registration fee which must be paid by June 28, 2021 deadline.
