Group A Teams Ready For OFC Women's Nations Cup Kick-Off In Lautoka
Papua New Guineas head coach Ericsson Komeng, who recently led Hekari United Women to the final of the OFC Womens Champions League in Tahiti, returns to guide the national team as they defend the title they claimed in Fiji in 2022.
Final preparations are underway for the four Group A teams ahead of the OFC Women's Nations Cup 2025, with match day one set to kick off at Lautoka's Churchill Park this Friday.
This morning, the head coaches and captains of Cook Islands, defending champions Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tahiti came together at a pre-tournament media conference in Lautoka, sharing their thoughts on the competition and their opening matches.
Papua New Guinea's head coach Ericsson Komeng, who recently led Hekari United Women to the final of the OFC Women's Champions League in Tahiti, returns to guide the national team as they defend the title they claimed in Fiji in 2022.
'It's going to be tough,' Komeng admitted. 'The two friendlies against Fiji [last month] gave us a lot to think about. The girls were a bit down after the second loss, but I have a quality side and I'm confident.'
Captain Ramona Padio returns to bolster the side from the ankle injury she suffered in the OFC Women's Champions League semi-finals and missed the recent Fiji friendlies, bringing experience and leadership back to the squad. But first choice goalkeeper Faith Kasiray has been ruled out with a wrist injury suffered in training before the side departed for Fiji.
Komeng is expecting a strong challenge in their opener against Samoa. 'They're a quality side, and that first match is very important for us,' he said.
Samoa is led by head coach Juan Chang Urrea, who has been instrumental in shaping the country's women's football programme, coaching the U-16, U-19, and senior women's teams. Later this year, he will take Samoa's U-17 side to their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.
'A lot of our girls represent Samoa from outside the country,' said Chang Urrea. 'This tournament will be a great learning experience. We know what the goal is, but we're focusing on taking things day by day.'
Samoa brings a well-balanced team with a mix of youth and experience, with their clash Papua New Guinea clash an early litmus test for their campaign.
Angela Wallbank will lead the Cook Islands, having coached Tupapa Maraerenga at the OFC Women's Champions League in May. Several players have been recruited from clubs in New Zealand, while one has joined from Perth.
'The biggest takeaway from the Champions League was seeing how other teams were structured,' Wallbank said. 'Now, with the ability to bring in players from New Zealand and Australia, we've added depth and balance across the park. That should help us counter some of the threats we identified in Tahiti.'
Tahiti's squad, coached by Xavier Samin, includes six players from AS Pirae, who made their debut at the OFC Women's Champions League in May. The team's build-up has been challenging, with players juggling club commitments up until their departure for Fiji.
'With the team we have, we hope to go as far as possible,' said Samin. 'The Champions League in Tahiti gave us the chance to observe a lot of the players now in this tournament, so we have a good idea of the level of competition in the Pacific.'
Group A action begins on Friday, with the Cook Islands taking on Tahiti in the tournament opener, followed by defending champions Papua New Guinea facing Samoa in the second match of the day.
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