Papua New Guinea national soccer team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Papua New Guinea women's national soccer team.

Quick facts for kids
Papua New Guinea

Nickname(s)

Kapuls (Cuscus)

Association

Papua New Guinea Football Association

Confederation

OFC (Oceania)

Head coach

Felipe Vega-Arango

Captain

Ronald Warisan

Most caps

Emmanuel Simon (40)

Top scorer

Raymond Gunemba (16)

Home stadium

Hubert Murray Stadium

FIFA code

PNG

First colours

Second colours

FIFA ranking

Current

168

(7 February 2019)

Highest

153 (June 2017)

Lowest

206 (October–November 2015)

Elo ranking

Current

178

(3 March 2019)

Highest

134 (1989)

Lowest

188 (2003)

First international

Fiji 3–1 Papua and New Guinea

(Suva, Fiji; 29 August 1963)

Biggest win

Papua New Guinea 20–0 American Samoa

(Nouméa, New Caledonia; 15 December 1987)

Biggest defeat

Malaysia 10–0 Papua New Guinea

(Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia; 20 June 2023)

OFC Nations Cup

Appearances

5 (first in 1980)

Best result

Runners-up (2016)

Melanesia Cup/MSG Prime Minister's Cup

Appearances

8 (first in 1989)

Best result

Melanesia Cup: Third place
(1994)
MSG Prime Minister's Cup: Champions
(2022, 2024)

Medal record


Pacific Games
Bronze	1969 Port Moresby	Team
Bronze	1987 Nouméa	Team
Bronze	2015 Port Moresby	Team

The Papua New Guinea national soccer team is the men's national soccer team for Papua New Guinea. The Papua New Guinea Football Association controls the team. Their nickname is the Kapuls, which means Cuscus in the local language, Tok Pisin.

The team's highest ever FIFA ranking was 153rd in June 2017. As of April 2024, they were ranked 166th out of 211 countries. This was a small drop from February 2024. The team once left the FIFA rankings because they didn't play any matches between July 2007 and August 2011. They returned to the rankings after playing in the 2015 Pacific Games. In June 2016, they played in the 2016 OFC Nations Cup. They made it to the final but lost to New Zealand in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 tie.

Team History

Early Years (1963–1978)

The Papua New Guinea national team played its first game at the 1963 South Pacific Games. They lost 3-1 to Fiji and were out of the tournament. At the 1966 South Pacific Games, they reached the third-place match but lost. Three years later, in 1969, they won the bronze medal by beating Fiji 2-1.

At the 1971 South Pacific Games, they lost in the semi-finals. Then they were beaten 8-1 by Tahiti in the third-place game. In 1975, they were eliminated early in the group stage.

Growing the Game (1979–1995)

At the 1979 South Pacific Games, they lost 3–2 in the quarter-finals. The next year, they played in the 1980 Oceania Cup. They beat the New Hebrides team but lost to Australia and New Caledonia, so they didn't move past the first stage.

In the 1983 South Pacific Games, they lost the match for third place. In 1987, they won another bronze medal by beating Vanuatu 3-1. However, in the 1991 and 1995 Games, they were eliminated in the first round.

New Millennium Challenges (1996–2012)

After not playing in three OFC Nations Cup tournaments, they qualified for the 2002 tournament. They only managed one draw, 0-0 against the Solomon Islands, and were out in the first round. In the 2003 South Pacific Games, they didn't do well, getting only four points from five games.

They didn't play in the 2007 tournament. In the 2011 Pacific Games, they were eliminated in the first stage. In the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, they drew with Fiji but lost to the Solomon Islands and New Zealand. This meant they were out in the group stage again.

Recent Years (2013–Present)

Alwin Komolong has played many soccer matches for Papua New Guinea.

In 2015, Papua New Guinea was chosen to host the 2016 OFC Nations Cup. In the group stage, they drew 1–1 with New Caledonia and 2–2 against Tahiti. They also had a big 8–0 win against Samoa. They won their semi-final match 2–1 against the Solomon Islands. In the final, they lost to New Zealand in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw. On June 20, 2023, Papua New Guinea had their biggest loss ever, losing 10–0 to Malaysia.

FIFA Series Tournament

In 2024, Papua New Guinea played in their first tournament outside of Oceania. FIFA invited them to the 2024 FIFA Series in Colombo. They played against Sri Lanka and Central African Republic.

Kit Sponsors

Kit supplier	Period
Joma	1998–2000
Puma	2007–2010
Lotto	2011
Nike	2012–2014
OFC	2014
Kukuri	2015
None	2016
Adidas	2017–2023
Veto	2024–

Recent Matches

The following are some of the recent match results for the team.

On March 22, 2024, Papua New Guinea drew 0–0 with Sri Lanka in Colombo.
On March 25, 2024, they lost 4–0 to the Central African Republic in Colombo.
On June 16, 2024, they lost 1–5 to Fiji in the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup.
On June 19, 2024, they drew 1–1 with Tahiti in the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup.
On June 22, 2024, they won 2–1 against Samoa in the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup.
On October 10, 2024, they lost 3–1 to New Caledonia in a World Cup qualifier.
On November 14, 2024, they drew 3–3 with Fiji in a World Cup qualifier.
On November 17, 2024, they lost 1–2 to the Solomon Islands in a World Cup qualifier.
On December 12, 2024, they won 3–2 against the Solomon Islands in the 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup.
On December 15, 2024, they won 1–0 against Solomon Islands B in the 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup.

Coaches Through the Years

Richard Tamari Nagai (1996–1998)
John Davani (2002)
Steve Cain (2002)
Ludwig Peka (2003–2004)
Marcos Gusmão (2004–2011)
Frank Farina (2011–2013)
Mike Keeney (2013)
Wynton Rufer (2014–2015)
Flemming Serritslev (2015–2018)
Bob Morris (2019–2021)
Marcos Gusmão (2021–2022)
Santiago Marina (2022–2023)
Warren Moon (2023–present)

Team Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in November 2024.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of November 17, 2024.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1GK	Dave Tomare	(1997-04-26) 26 April 1997 (age 28)	5	0	Hekari United
1GK	Charles Lepani	(1994-08-20) 20 August 1994 (age 31)	1	0	Lae City
1GK	Christinus Biasu	(1995-06-02) 2 June 1995 (age 30)	0	0	Hekari United

2DF	Daniel Joe	(1990-05-29) 29 May 1990 (age 35)	37	0	Hekari United
2DF	Alwin Komolong	(1994-11-02) 2 November 1994 (age 30)	30	2	Queensland Lions
2DF	Kolu Kepo	(1993-07-15) 15 July 1993 (age 32)	24	3	Hekari United
2DF	Joshua Talau	(1996-04-19) 19 April 1996 (age 29)	9	0	Lae City
2DF	Nathaniel Eddie	unknown	3	0	Hekari United
2DF	Arol Tateng	(1997-04-05) 5 April 1997 (age 28)	2	0	Southern Strikers
2DF	Derek Kimai	unknown	2	0

3MF	Rex Naime	(2003-10-23) 23 October 2003 (age 21)	11	0	Hekari United
3MF	Simon Oberth	(2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 24)	10	0	Hekari United
3MF	Joseph Joe	(2002-06-14) 14 June 2002 (age 23)	7	1	Hekari United
3MF	Solomon Rani	(2002-05-22) 22 May 2002 (age 23)	5	0	Hekari United
3MF	Shane Sakael	(1992-12-31) 31 December 1992 (age 32)	3	0	Hekari United
3MF	Juduh Asar	unknown	2	0
3MF	Ritzoki Tamgol	unknown	2	0	Port Moresby
3MF	Chappy Upaiga	unknown	0	0
3MF	Ethan Mom	unknown	0	0

4FW	Raymond Gunemba	(1986-06-04) 4 June 1986 (age 39)	34	15	Lae City
4FW	Tommy Semmy	(1994-09-30) 30 September 1994 (age 30)	28	11	Melbourne Knights
4FW	Ati Kepo	(1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 29)	24	8	Hekari United
4FW	Logan Biwa	unknown	1	0

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called to the Papua New Guinea squad in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Ronald Warisan	(1989-09-20) 20 September 1989 (age 35)	34	0	Lae City	v. New Caledonia, 10 October 2024
GK	Vagi Koniel	(1996-10-26) 26 October 1996 (age 28)	0	0	Southern Strikers	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup

DF	Godfrey Haro	(1998-06-30) 30 June 1998 (age 27)	12	0	Hekari United	v. New Caledonia, 10 October 2024
DF	Felix Komolong	(1997-03-06) 6 March 1997 (age 28)	25	0	Lae City	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
DF	Lennard Atterwell	(2005-11-21) 21 November 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Brisbane Roar	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
DF	Raymon Diho	(2007-01-01) 1 January 2007 (age 18)	3	0	North Geelong Warriors	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
DF	Philip Steven	(1995-01-19) 19 January 1995 (age 30)	3	0	Port Moresby	2024 FIFA Series
DF	Joseph Waiwai	(2001-03-07) 7 March 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Port Moresby Strikers	2024 FIFA Series

MF	Emmanuel Simon	(1992-12-25) 25 December 1992 (age 32)	38	4	Lae City	v. New Caledonia, 10 October 2024
MF	Yagi Yasasa	(2000-08-17) 17 August 2000 (age 25)	17	0	Hekari United	v. New Caledonia, 10 October 2024
MF	Kenneth Arah	(1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 29)	5	0	Gulf Komara	v. New Caledonia, 10 October 2024
MF	Bruce Tiampo	(2002-07-25) 25 July 2002 (age 23)	3	0	Lae City	v. New Caledonia, 10 October 2024
MF	Pala Paul	(1999-07-25) 25 July 1999 (age 26)	8	1	Southern Strikers	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
MF	Troy Dobbin	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23)	6	0	Queensland Lions	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
MF	Lee-Navu Faunt	(2003-05-04) 4 May 2003 (age 22)	5	0	Redlands United	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
MF	Jethro Yumange	(2002-03-10) 10 March 2002 (age 23)	3	0	River Light	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup
MF	Nigel Dabinyaba	(1992-10-26) 26 October 1992 (age 32)	19	11	Hekari United	2024 FIFA Series

FW	Matu Ben	(2004-01-31) 31 January 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Lae City	2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup

Player Records

These statistics include only official matches recognized by FIFA. Players in bold are still playing for Papua New Guinea.

Most Games Played

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Emmanuel Simon	40	4	2014–present
2	Daniel Joe	39	1	2012–present
3	Ronald Warisan	36	0	2014–present
3	Raymond Gunemba	36	16	2012–present
5	Michael Foster	31	7	2003–2022
6	Alwin Komolong	30	3	2016–present
7	Tommy Semmy	26	10	2014–present
7	Kolu Kepo	26	4	2016–present
9	Ati Kepo	25	9	2019–present
10	Felix Komolong	23	0	2016–present

Top Goal Scorers

Rank	Name	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Raymond Gunemba	16	36	0.44	2012–present
2	Reggie Davani	13	17	0.76	2002–2012
3	Tommy Semmy	10	26	0.38	2014–present
4	Nigel Dabinyaba	9	21	0.43	2014–present
4	Ati Kepo	9	25	0.36	2019–present
6	Michael Foster	7	31	0.23	2003–2022
7	Nathaniel Lepani	6	8	0.75	2004–2011
8	Neil Hans	5	8	0.63	2007–2014
	Andrew Lepani	5	12	0.42	2003–2011
	Mauri Wasi	5	14	0.36	2002–2014

Tournament Highlights

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Papua New Guinea has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup several times. They first entered the qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup. They have not yet qualified for the main tournament.

OFC Nations Cup

The team has played in the OFC Men's Nations Cup several times. Their best result was being the Runners-up in the 2016 OFC Nations Cup. This was a big achievement for the team.

Pacific Games

Papua New Guinea has won bronze medals at the Pacific Games twice: in 1969 and 1987. They have often reached the semi-finals or quarter-finals in this competition.