The PNG Men’s National team has resumed its third training camp after one weeks break as part of the preparations for the 2022 World Cup OFC Preliminary qualifiers in Doha, Qatar in March 2022.
The team started its training program this morning (December 10, 2021) at the PNG Football stadium at Waigani with endurance (speed & agility) exercise sessions to get the players prepared for the next stages of the program.
An on-camp site physio-therapy and medical clinic has being set up to cater for the players needs on a daily basis.
The training camp will end on December 22, 2021, before the team members are released to spend the festive season with their families.
Incoming Head Coach, Marcus Gusmao stressed that mental and psychological state of a person is very important and that spending time with family during the festive season is a positive approach towards the continuation of team preparations in January 2022.
Gusmao is expected to arrive in country soon.
Meanwhile, the format for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ OFC preliminary competition has been confirmed and will be played as a mini-tournament and held in Qatar between March 14-30 next year, allowing for a minimum of two rest days between games, as well as before the first game following long distance travel.
Therefore, FIFA’s Bureau of the Council approved OFC’s request to add an additional day to the existing International Match Calendar window (which runs from March 21-29) for the preliminary competition. Meaning it will now run from March 21-30 and see the mandatory release of players for the last group-stage match, semi-finals and final of the preliminary competition.
The Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga and Vanuatu are confirmed to take part. American Samoa and Samoa withdrew from participation due to the ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The qualifying stage will be a single match between the Cook Islands and Tonga – the two lowest-ranked participating OFC nations in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankins, with the winner advancing to the group stage.
