Kapuls to make changes ahead of Nations Cup clash with Tahiti

PAPUA New Guinea men’s head coach Warren Moon says he will be making a few changes to his starting line-up for today’s OFC Nations Cup clash at 2pm (PNG time) with Tahiti at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, Fiji.
Moon said his team spent the last few days reviewing their shortfalls in the tournament opener against Fiji and have prepared accordingly.
Notable inclusions in the starting eleven will see defenders Daniel Joe and Felix Komolong join forces with skipper Alwin Komolong to shore PNG’s defence against the Tahitians.
Moon said Joe was not game ready for the opener having spent the last few weeks picking up his fitness level after nursing an injury but he was fit for today’s match.
He said Komolong was in the same boat however the coaching staff were comfortable with their preparation which will see both defenders having game time.
“We’ll be making a few changes, that was always our intention anyway with the way the tournament is designed (three days between games), we needed to use the whole squad,” said Moon.
“We’re just going to be super positive now in our approach to try and get the result against Tahiti because it’s going to be difficult. Tahiti is a very good side but right now, we’re still in the tunnel (to get into the semi-finals).”
Moon said while it was a disappointing loss to start off their campaign, the spirit at camp remains positive as they eye a good comeback.
“We may have lost the game 5-1, but I think our possession count, the shots on goal count was fairly similar (to Fiji’s), it’s just we just didn’t defend well enough in key moments in the game and we let ourselves down,” said Moon.
“We didn’t take our chances when they were there and just a few lapses in concentration early in that second half and the game brought it out to a score line that really wasn’t reflective of the match.
“We were disappointed by the way we defended in those moments. But for us, it’s more about concentration and making sure we stick to our structures.
“But we’re not going to make excuses, we lost the game but the positivity and belief in what we’re doing is still there.”
Moon said he was impressed with youngsters Raymond Diho and Jethro Yumange who made their debut in the Fiji clash.
“I thought they (Diho and Yumange) had a positive impact. They showed their qualities and want to be part of this national team.”