By GABRIEL KATUHO
THE four Oceania nations are gearing up for the second leg of the 2026 FIFA world cup qualifiers, which kicks off tomorrow with Papua New Guinea’s Kapuls taking on Fiji.
Fiji, New Caledonia and Solomon Islands have arrived in PNG and are ready for the next round of 2026 FIFA world cup qualifying match of the Oceania Zone.
During a media conference today, PNG coach Filipe Vega Arango expressed confidence in his players ahead of tomorrow’s match against Fiji.
With a supportive home crowd, expected to turn out in large numbers at the Sir John Guise Stadium, at around 4pm, Kapuls Coach said while the crowd’s energy will provide motivation, the main focus remains on the players’ performance on the field.
“I think the players are the ones I am concerned about. The last game we played against New Caledonia had a lot of silly mistakes that put the game away so I expect them to do their job because they are doing it for their families, fans and the country,” Arango said.
He said that having an international game played in the country after seven years is something the players need to take pride of and make supporters proud.
The Kapuls have been training very hard for the past weeks to prepare for the second leg of the match after losing to New Caledonia in the first leg. Arango is focusing on making a difference tomorrow against Fiji.
Unfortunately, veteran goalkeeper Ronald Warison is injured and will miss the game as well as star midfielder duo Yagi Yasasa and Simon Emmanuel were left out due to health and family reasons, but Arango is confident that younger players will rise to the occasion and showcase their talents.
Captain Alvin Komolong has appealed to supporters in Port Moresby to come out in full force to cheer on the Kapuls.
“We need your support at John Guise Stadium tomorrow,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fiji’s coach Rob Sherman is comfortable that his team will put up a tough match against Kapuls despite being away from home,” he said.
He said they are here to play and are ready to face the Kapuls.
