Papua New Guinea's National Soccer League continues its expansion this weekend with the first round of matches in the new Highlands Conference.
Six teams will kick off their 2019 campaigns with a triple header at the National Sports Institute in Goroka on Sunday.
PS Huawei FC celebrate the winning goal in their National Soccer League match against Madang FC. Photo: PNG Football Association
Laima FC from Wabag, who are backed by Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas, kick off proceedings against Apporo Mai FC at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning and Club President David Ruddy said they can't wait to get underway.
"Yeah obviously the boys are really excited. We've been training for the last probably 15 weeks and the boys are pumped up and ready to play their first game in this coming weekend," David Ruddy said.
New PNG Football Association John Kapi Natto and Vice President John Wesley Gonjuan. Photo: PNG Football Association
David Ruddy said football is extremely popular in Enga province but the sport was neglected by the Papua New Guinea Football Association's previous administration.
"Enga was a province with a soccer-playing population but over time when we had the previous president (of the Papua New Guinea Football Association), Mr (David) Chung, soccer in the Highlands actually died away," Mr Ruddy said.
"Now, since John Kapi Natto came in we decided to team up with him, work with him and then propose the idea of putting a team into the National Soccer League so he assisted, we complied so we are putting a team in," he said.
The NSL Northern and Southern Conferences continue on Saturday with the third round of matches in Port Moresby and Lae, while the New Guinea Islands Conference is set to begin next weekend.
The top two teams in each of the four conferences will qualify for the NSL final series later this year.