PNG U17 Squad packed with rising talent

PAPUA New Guinea U17 squad for the 2016 OFC U-17 Women’s Championship in the Cook Islands ended their two weeks training camp last Friday with Coach Frederica Sakette said the majority of the squad is made of the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games team which we took to China last year, so already we have some idea of what those players can do.

“We’ve got a handful of players that have really developed and pushed on over the last 10 months so they are coming intothis camp inthe cycle of make it into the U20 squad."

With women’s football development on the rise in Papua New Guinea, PNGFA has benefited most from these development programs.

Youth development has come under the spotlight across the country in recent years with Development Centres and Centres of Excellence being installed across PNGFA member associations and playing a strong supporting role in the players selection.

U15 strikerBelinda Giada has returned to the fold along with Margaret Joseph, both of whom have been outstanding playing a part in the senior side.

"Every member of the squad has been developing on the domestic scene and having seen some excellent skills emerge during the two weeks camp, we are expecting more from them during the next camp," says Sakette.

"There were some players who did well and push their case for selectionin the next camp in the likes of Serah Tambol, Bridgit Paime, Amatha Mistera, and Eswin Matlaun with the two Kerema lass Betany Morivaile and Anna Malara."

She said those players are raw talented and have been identified during the talent identification program into provinces.

"From the 41 players from the first camp only twenty five players will make it into the second camp from Nov 23rd - Dec 19th with the list yet to be formalized," Sakette said.

Papua New Guinea have been drawn in Pool B for the tournament, alongside Fiji, Vanuatu and host nation the Cook Islands.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, with the eventual winner securing direct qualification to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016.