THE Kumul Petroleum Holdings National Soccer League (NSL) five-times defending Champions Lae City Football Club is into its sixth week of preparation to grab hold of the NSL trophy for one more time.
A 21 men squad with the inclusion of little man with magic foot Yagi Yasasa, season 2020 golden booth winner Jonathan Allan and Joshua Talau from 2020 NSL season underdog Vitias United.
Lae Biscuit sponsored Lae City FC has also extended its signing out of the country and recruited a Fiji based Nigerian Jibola Afonja a former Suva FC player who has joined the club last month.
Head coach Bob Morris told The PNG Bulletin that he is focusing on getting the boys physically fit and “We are on target” to get into the season next month.
“We are done with the first preseason phase of the training which we focused on the physical fitness level of the boys after the boys came back from the break. By next week we will go into competition phase leading up to the competition,” Morris said.
The exclusion of two Ecuadorian players Abdias Aguirre and Gustine Vergara will not be joining the club this season which is unfortunate however the team is bonding in well with the new players.
He said it is much premature to say but “the team is balanced” and will work even harder to prepare for the much bigger task ahead and that is Oceania League competition.
Moreover with the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the team management is working on doing more awareness to the players to brush aside any doubt and get vaccinated if possible.
“We have to go through vaccination. It is protocol and it is good the boys must be vaccinated,” coach Morris said.
He added that if Lae FC are to travel out of the country for Oceania League competition they will have to get vaccinated.
As Lae Biscuit sponsored Lae Snax Tigers players have taken vaccine to take part in the 2020 Digicel Cup competition it is likely for them to also take the vaccine.