Fire To Face PNG National Team
Words: Emily Wilson
Former Sunshine Coast Fire player David Muta is set to return to his former home ground on Monday when Fire face Papua New Guinea at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
The PNG team, nicknamed Kapuls, will play Fire as part of a training camp to prepare for next year’s Pacific Games, to be hosted in Port Moresby.
This game will be the first time Papua New Guinea Captain David Muta will face his former club since playing for the Fire in the 2012 Championship-winning season.
Sunshine Coast Fire Coach Kevin A’herne-Evans said he was looking forward to seeing Muta back on Sunshine Coast soil.
“It will be great to have David Muta back at Sunshine Coast Stadium; he is a very energetic player with the ability to influence the game in the blink of an eye, and will be a danger man for the Papua New Guinea team,” he said.
With the fixture sandwiched between Fire’s final two NPL Queensland fixtures, A’herne-Evans said many of the club’s Youth and Under 18 players are likely to see game time against PNG.
“This game again gives our players the opportunity to play against an international side. We have many young players in our squad for which playing international opposition will be an invaluable experience.”
Papua New Guinea Coach Wynton Rufer, a former New Zealand international and Oceania’s Footballer of the Century, said the game would also be a chance for the Fire to see some of the talented players within the PNG National Team.
The Papua New Guinea team will play the Fire on Monday before travelling to Singapore to play the Singapore National Team on September 6.
“The game against Singapore will be our first really serious game since against an International opposition since the squad was selected, so our game against the Fire will be good preparation. We will use that game to decide on our starting 11 for the match against Singapore,” Rufer said.
Papua New Guinea is part of Oceania Football Confederation and are currently ranked 200th in the world. Earlier this week, they were defeated 2-1 by Brisbane community club Lions FC.
Kick-off between Fire and the Papua New Guinea is scheduled for Monday at 6PM. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for concession.
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