Papua New Guinea went down 9-0 to championship favourites New Zealand but coach Michael Robinson says development is the key focus for this week’s event.
The round-robin competition concludes on Friday when they will be hoping to turn things around against the Solomon Islands who have also picked up three points from two matches.
“We still have the chance of grabbing second place and that would be a huge achievement for these girls.”
Robinson is also mindful of preparing his players for the first ever Youth Olympic Games.
Last year, OFC selected Papua New Guinea for the women’s draw of the event under FIFA guidelines which stated that nominated teams must represent nations that have never, or rarely, had the opportunity to participate in Olympic Games or World Cups. Robinson says taking part in the competition will be a huge step in the development of women’s football in Papua New Guinea.
“Some of these girls have only basic knowledge of the game but we have to start somewhere. Hopefully the ones involved in this week’s championship will continue to improve and do well in Singapore. It is a long process but we’re working hard.”
Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tonga are in the early stages of development while New Zealand Football put in a considerable amount of planning ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which they hosted in 2008. Those efforts are paying off with the Young Football Ferns showing their dominance at North Harbour Stadium this week.
A win for Dave Edmondson’s side against Tonga on Friday will see New Zealand qualify for their second FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to be held in Trinidad and Tobago this September.
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Story courtesy www.nzfootball.co.nz