FIFA President Gianni Infantino has told the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to embrace opportunities and step up to advance to the World Cup.
“In order to have a chance to qualify for a World Cup, this will grow the game immensely in Oceania. We need to embrace the opportunity but the responsibility is on us to earn the spot. So this is a big year for the women and also the year of the Oceania where we put ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, in the centre of the world,” said Infantino.
While addressing the OFC Extraordinary Congress in Kigali recently, FIFA has given two spots (one guaranteed place and a second potentially via a play-off) in the world cup as a special concession hence OFC needs to step up its game to compete at the global stage.
PNG Football Association president, John Kapi Natto said this can work for PNG, but through collaboration with FIFA and OFC. He was present at the recent 73rd FIFA Congress where FIFA president Infantino was re-elected to another four-year term.
Kapi Natto also attended the Extraordinary OFC Congress where Vanuatu’s Lambert Maltock was also elected unopposed as OFC President and Kapi Natto continues as Vice President for a second four-year term.
Kapi Natto met with Presidents Infantino and Maltock along with FIFA council members and discussed the way forward for PNG including future collaborations and opportunities.
PNG has already seen some success when it qualified for the Women’s World Cup play offs in New Zealand in February after it won the OFC Women’s Nations Cup last year.
“The 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda was indeed a special one for FIFA and football in many respects. The first time an electoral congress was hosted in the African continent which is in the Southern hemisphere.
“The Southern Hemisphere will also see the first Women's World Cup to be hosted in NZ and Australia in 2023. And, the OFC was given two spots in the World Cup championship. This promises a lot for football in Oceania.”
Meantime, at the Congress FIFA announced the increased funding for Member Associations including PNGFA to develop talent among both boys and girls throughout the 22 provinces.
“FIFA notes that PNG is the sleeping giant of Oceania in football and reaffirmed its commitment and support to PNGFA, to integrate football as a tool to transform and empower the youth and next generation of Papua New Guineans to achieve their life goals and pursue their dreams to succeed,” added Kapi Natto.