Papua New Guinea national soccer team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Papua New Guinea

Nickname(s)	Kapuls (Cuscus)
Association	Papua New Guinea Football Association
Confederation	OFC (Oceania)
Head coach	Warren Moon
Captain	Ronald Warisan
Most caps	Emmanuel Simon (38)
Top scorer	Raymond Gunemba (14)
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)
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 official men's soccer team for Papua New Guinea. It is managed by the Papua New Guinea Football Association. Their nickname is the Kapuls, which means Cuscus in the local language, Tok Pisin.

Papua New Guinea's highest ever FIFA ranking was 153rd in the world. This happened in June 2017. As of April 2024, they were ranked 166th out of 211 countries. They even left the FIFA rankings for a while because they didn't play any matches between 2007 and 2011. They returned to the rankings after playing in the 2015 Pacific Games. In 2016, they made it to the final of the 2016 OFC Nations Cup. They played against New Zealand and tied 0–0 after extra time. However, they lost 4–2 in a penalty shootout.

History

Early Years (1963–1978)

The Papua New Guinea national team played its very 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 to the New Hebrides.

Three years later, in 1969, they played for third place again. This time, they beat the Fijian team 2-1 to win a bronze medal. At the 1971 South Pacific Games, they lost in the semi-finals to New Caledonia. Then, they were beaten 8-1 by Tahiti in the third-place game. In 1975, they were eliminated in the first round of the Games.

Growing Pains (1979–1995)

At the 1979 South Pacific Games, Papua New Guinea lost 3–2 to the Solomon Islands in the quarter-finals. The next year, they played in the 1980 Oceania Cup. This was an early version of the OFC Nations Cup. They beat the New Hebrides team but lost to Australia and New Caledonia, so they didn't get past the first stage.

At the 1983 South Pacific Games, they lost the match for third place against New Caledonia. In 1987, they won the bronze medal again by beating Vanuatu 3-1. However, in the 1991 and 1995 Games, they were knocked out in the first round.

New Millennium Challenges (1996–2012)

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

They didn't take part in the 2007 tournament. At the 2011 Pacific Games, they were eliminated in the first round. This was because their goal difference was worse than Tahiti, even though they had the same number of points. In the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, they drew with Fiji but lost to the Solomon Islands and New Zealand. They were again knocked out in the group stage.

Recent Times (2013–Present)

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 then had a big win, beating Samoa 8–0. 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 the game ended 0–0. 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 ever tournament outside of Oceania. FIFA invited them to the 2024 FIFA Series matches in March 2024. These games were held in Colombo, where they played against Sri Lanka and the Central African Republic.

Team Sponsors

Kit supplier	Period
Joma	1998–2000
Puma	2007–2010
Nike	2011–2012
Lotto	2013–2015
Adidas	2017–2023
Veto	2024–

Match Results

Here are some of the recent match results for the team.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023 Matches

In 2023, the team played several matches in the 2023 Pacific Games. They had two wins, one draw, and one loss in this tournament.

2024 Matches

In 2024, Papua New Guinea took part in the 2024 FIFA World Series. They drew one match and lost another. They also played in the 2024 OFC Nations Cup, where they had one win, one draw, and one loss. Later in the year, they played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches, with one draw and two losses.

Coaches

Players

Current Team Members

These are the players who were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games in November 2024.

The numbers for games played (caps) and goals are correct as of November 17, 2024.

No.	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 30)	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 31)	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

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been called to play for Papua New Guinea 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 26)	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
DF	Abel Redenut	(1995-04-17) 17 April 1995 (age 30)	0	0	Hekari United	2023 Pacific Games
DF	Thomas Yagum	(1995-05-21) 21 May 1995 (age 30)	0	0	Lae City	2023 Pacific Games
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 24)	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 22)	3	0	Lae City	v.  New Caledonia, 10 October 2024
MF	Pala Paul	(1999-07-25) 25 July 1999 (age 25)	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
FW	Pascal Kundi	(1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 29)	0	0	Port Moresby Strikers	2023 Pacific Games

Player Achievements

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

Most Games Played

Top Scorers

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup

Papua New Guinea has not yet qualified for the FIFA World Cup. The table below shows their record in the qualification rounds.

FIFA World Cup record										FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1966	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1970 to 1994	Did not enter									Did not enter
1998	Did not qualify									3rd	6	2	1	3	5	13
2002	Did not enter									Did not enter
2006	Did not qualify									3rd	4	2	1	1	17	6
2010	Disqualified									Disqualified
2014	Did not qualify									4th	3	0	1	2	2	4
2018										3rd	9	3	3	3	19	13
2022										3rd	4	2	0	2	5	5
2026										7th	3	0	1	2	5	8
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total		0/14									29	9	7	13	53	49

* Papua New Guinea was initially listed for the 2010 World Cup but did not enter the qualifying tournament.

OFC Nations Cup

The OFC Nations Cup is the main soccer tournament for countries in Oceania. Papua New Guinea has competed in it several times.

Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1973	Did not enter										No qualification
1980	Group stage	6th	3	1	0	2	6	22	N/A
1996	Did not qualify										4	1	1	2	2	4
1998											4	1	1	2	3	6
2000											4	0	0	4	4	19
2002	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	12	Squad		4	4	0	0	20	2
2004	Did not qualify										4	2	1	1	17	6
2008	Disqualified										Disqualified
2012	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	4	Squad		Qualified automatically
2016	Runners-up	2nd	5	2	3	0	13	4	Squad
2024	Group stage	5th	3	1	1	1	4	7	Squad
Total	Runners-up	5/11	17	4	6	7	27	49	—		20	8	3	9	46	37

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Pacific Games

The Pacific Games is a multi-sport event for countries in the Pacific region. Soccer is one of the sports played.

Pacific Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1963	1st round	5th	1	0	0	1	1	3
1966	Fourth place	4th	4	1	0	3	14	14
1969	Third place	3rd	6	3	1	2	11	10
1971	Fourth place	4th	3	1	1	1	19	11
1975	Group stage	6th	2	0	0	2	3	9
1979	Quarter-finals	5th	3	1	1	1	15	3
1983	Fourth place	4th	4	1	0	3	22	10
1987	Third place	3rd	6	3	2	1	26	4
1991	Group stage	5th	3	1	1	1	3	2
1995	Group stage	6th	3	1	1	1	11	5
2003	Group stage	6th	4	1	1	2	12	7
2007	Disqualified
2011	Group stage	6th	4	2	1	1	22	4
2015	See Papua New Guinea national under-23 team
2019	Fourth place	4th	5	3	1	1	17	3
2023	5th-8th placement	6th	4	2	1	1	7	3
Total	Third place	14/16	52	20	11	30	183	88

MSG Prime Minister's Cup

The MSG Prime Minister's Cup is a football tournament for teams from the Melanesian Spearhead Group countries.

MSG Prime Minister's Cup record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1988	Did not enter
1989	Fourth place	4th	4	1	1	2	5	4
1990	Fifth place	5th	4	0	0	4	1	5
1992	Did not enter
1994	Third place	3rd	4	1	1	2	2	4
1998	Fourth place	4th	4	1	1	2	3	6
2000	Fifth place	5th	4	0	0	4	4	19
2022	Champions	1st	4	3	1	0	7	5
2023	Fourth place	4th	3	0	0	3	2	7
Total	Winner	7/9	27	6	4	17	24	50

Team Awards

Continental

• OFC Nations Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2016

Regional

• Pacific Games
  • Bronze medal (2): 1969, 1987
• Melanesia Cup
  • Champions (1): 2022
  • Third Place (1): 1994

Head-to-Head Matches

Papua New Guinea national football team results

Team Uniforms Through the Years

1996 Home

2002 Home

2004

2011 Home

2014 Home

2014 Away

2015 Home

2015 Away

2017 Home

2017 Away

2022 Home

2022 Away

2022 Third

2024 Home

2024 Away

See Also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Papúa Nueva Guinea para niños

• Papua New Guinea women's national football team