Following an action-packed start to the competition in Auckland, the OFC Pro League heads north to Melanesia as Papua New Guinea hosts Round 2.
Both environmentally and culturally diverse, Papua New Guinea is known for having 800 languages, the most of anywhere in the world.
Rugby league has long had a grip on the nation, and Papua New Guinea will soon welcome its first professional rugby league team as part of the NRL in 2028.
Football has also grown dramatically across the nation though, and it now has its first professional football club too – PNG Hekari FC – who are built on the legacy of former OFC Men’s Champions League winners Hekari United.
Despite a difficult start to the competition in Auckland, expect the home fans to get behind PNG Hekari FC and the rest of the seven OFC Pro League clubs, as professional football arrives in the nation for the first time.
The action will take place at Port Moresby’s Santos National Football Stadium, across six match days, with each club set to play three games.
Venues
Santos National Football Stadium
Match Days Hosted: January 31st, & February 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, & 8th.
The Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby has traditionally been the home of rugby league in Papua New Guinea, the nation’s national sport. From January 31st it will adjust to accommodate the inaugural OFC Pro League though, when Round 2 of the circuit series arrives to passionate crowds on PNG shores.
First used in the 1960s, and formerly known as Lloyd Robson Oval, it sits in the central urban area of Port Moresby surrounded by commercial and residential zones. In 2016, the Santos National Football Stadium hosted the final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2016™, which North Korea won in front of a capacity crowd of 15,000.
It marked just the second time a FIFA event had been held in the OFC region outside of New Zealand, underlining PNG’s passion for football, and its ability to host global competitions. That passion will be showcased again when the Santos National Football Stadium welcomes Oceania’s new professional football league.
Great moments in Papua New Guinea Football History
Hekari United FC claim shock continental crown
One of the most iconic moments in Oceania competition occurred in 2010, when Hekari United became the first club from outside Australia or New Zealand to win the OFC Men’s Champions League and qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup™.
After finishing top of their group, Hekari United defeated New Zealand’s Waitakere United 4-2 on aggregate across two legs in the final, thanks in part to three goals from Kema Jack.
They went on to represent OFC at FIFA Club World Cup 2010™ in the UAE but lost 0-3 to host club Al-Wahda in the first round.
Papua New Guinea finally lift OFC Women’s Nations Cup
After finishing runners-up on three consecutive occasions between 2007 and 2014, Papua New Guinea won their first OFC Women’s Nations Cup in 2022.
Coached by English manager Nicola Demaine, they beat hosts Fiji 2-1 in the final in Suva, with Meagen Gunemba and Ramona Padio scoring the goals.
The result meant Papua New Guinea became the first nation other than Australia or New Zealand to win Oceania’s premier women’s title, also qualifying for the intercontinental play-offs for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.
Kapuls reach OFC Men’s Nations Cup final as hosts
Having never previously progressed past the group stages at the OFC Men’s Nations Cup, Papua New Guinea made an impressive run to the final of the region’s most prized possession, as tournament hosts in 2016.
Drawn into a tough group, the Kapuls drew with New Caledonia and Tahiti, but progressed virtue of a better goal difference, and beat Melanesian rivals Solomon Islands, 2-1 in the semi-finals.
Despite a brave effort in the final, they fell just short of lifting the trophy though, losing 2-4 on penalties to New Zealand in a shoot-out.
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