The 38-year-old former PNG striker will help prepare the PNG U-15 Women’s National team for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.
Margaret is a long time football advocate and is currently the Just Play Manageress looking after the OFC Just Play program in Papua New Guinea with the Papua New Guinea Football Association. Her love and passion for the game goes back many years to 1991 when she was at Kimbe High School doing her grade 10.
“I was inspired by my dad who told me stories about himself playing football when he was younger. When I finished Kimbe High School I received an offer to Sogeri National High School and while playing for the school team my interest for the game grew and I never looked back,” said Aka.
In 1996 Aka, from Guhi village in Kimbe in the West New Britain Province, moved on to play with Telikom Football Club in the Port Moresby Soccer Association competition, winning seven grand finals and nine club championships.
She started representing the country in 1998 playing in the OFC Cup in New Zealand, then in 2003 and 2007 South Pacific Games. During her time representing Papua New Guinea she has had the opportunity to play alongside some great women footballers in the likes of Madam Judge Cathy Davani, Frederica Saketta, Geraldine Eka, Nellie Taman, Ikanau Matangiau to name a few.
Aka also had the opportunity to play in Brisbane with Gap Football Club in the Brisbane Women’s Premier League. In 2011 a major operation stopped her from playing active football and she redirected her energies to promote football to the youths.
Aka said her role now as a coach of the U-15 national team is to get them as fit as they can be and prepare them the best she can for the Youth Olympic Games.
“It is my first coaching job and I was surprised to be given the role but it’s interesting to coach a national team. It will be a tough challenge for me and the team as we are representing our country, our family, ourselves and the task is on me now as a coach to prepare the team as best I can to make the nation proud,” says Aka.