2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League
| Season | 2019–20 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 14 December 2019 – 10 October 2020 |
| Champions | Lae City |
| Premiers | Lae City |
| 2021 OFC Champions League | Lae City Hekari United |
| Matches played | 94 |
| Best Player | Emmanuel Simon |
| Top goalscorer | Jonathan Allen (12 goals) |
← 2019 2021 → | |
The 2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, for sponsorship reasons also known as the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited National Soccer League,[1] was the 14th edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, the top-tier soccer league in Papua New Guinea. The league began on 14 December 2019,[2][3][4] after being postponed three times due to late registration fees,[5][6][7][8][9][10] and finished on 10 October 2020, after almost a five-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lae City were the defending champions, having won their fifth title with a penalty shoot-out victory over eight-time champions Hekari United in the 2019 edition.[11] The side picked up their sixth title with a 1–0 victory over newcomers Vitiaz United in the Grand Final after topping the regular season table. Hekari United had to settle for third after Vitiaz defeated them on penalties in the semi-finals.[4] Emmanuel Simon of Lae City won the Player of the Season Award, while Jonathan Allen, who spent the first half the season at FC Bougainville and the second half at Vitiaz United, was awarded the Golden Boot after scoring 12 goals in the regular season.[12]
Format[edit]
Following the successful management of the previous season, which involved 27 teams spread across all four regions of the country, PNGFA president John Kapi Natto suggested that the following season may be the first to have two connected divisions of football in the nation,[13][14] with six to eight teams in a top-level 'elite' competition, and any number of teams competing in regional divisions a level below.[13][14] Lae City manager Peter Gunemba praised this idea.[15]
In October 2019, it was confirmed that Kapi Natto intended to go ahead with an eight-team National Soccer League, taking place alongside a 'Premier Men's Conference', with four conferences representing the four regions of the country: Northern (Momase), Southern (Papua), Highlands and Islands.[7] The national league was expanded to ten in December 2019,[3] following the cancellation of the conference competition in late November due to lack of interest.[5]
Teams[edit]
On 27 November 2019, a new club, FC Kutubu, from Kutubu, were the first team to be officially confirmed ahead of the new season.[16] It was suggested that the side would be the only club representing the Highlands Region in the new season. On 5 December, reigning champions Lae City, eight-time champions Hekari United, and Port Moresby-based FC Bougainville were also confirmed.[17] On 10 December 2019, the remaining six teams were confirmed.[2][3]
This was the first season since 2009–10 that Besta PNG United did not participate in the competition.
| Team | Region | Previous Best | Other Honours | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hekari United | Southern | 2006–14: Champions (8x) | 2009–10 OFC Champions League: Champions
2017 National Premier League: Champions 2007 Port Moresby Premier League: Champions |
PNG Football Stadium | 14,800 |
| Lae City (name changed from Toti City) |
Northern | 2015–19: Champions (5x) | 2018, 2019 OFC Champions League: Quarter-Finalists | Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium | 1,500 |
| Morobe United | Northern | 2009–10: Runners-up | 1998 National Club Championship: Runners-Up
2001, 2005 Lae Regional Championship: Champions |
LFA Park | 10,000 |
| Morobe Wawens | Northern | 2018: 3rd | None | Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium | 1,500 |
| Gulf Komara | Southern | 2015–16: Southern Conference: 4th | 2018 National Premier League: Champions | ||
| FC Bougainville | Southern | 2019: Southern Conference: 4th | None | ||
| Star Mountain | Southern | 2019: Southern Conference: 7th | 1999 North Fly District: Champions | ||
| Tusbab Stallions | Northern | 2019: Northern Conference: 8th | None | ||
| Vitiaz United | Southern | N/A | 2019 Port Moresby Division One: Champions | Laiwaden Oval | 1,000 |
| FC Kutubu | Highlands | N/A | None |
Summary[edit]
The season ran relatively smoothly compared to previous seasons, aside from an enforced break of almost five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic which halted the season just after the halfway stage in March. By this time, three contenders for the title had emerged. Newcomers Vitiaz United sat top of the league place, having beaten Lae City 2–1 on 25 January[18][19] and drawn with Hekari, and only having suffered defeat at the hands of FC Bougainville. Reigning champions Lae City sat second after ten games despite manager Peter Gunemba being sacked following their exit from the 2020 OFC Champions League,[20][21] and the resultant mass exodus of players, including international veterans Raymond Gunemba and Nigel Dabinyaba,[22][23] who eventually joined Hekari United. Eight-time champions Hekari United were third, having gone the entire first half of the season unbeaten before suffering a shock 2–1 defeat against Star Mountain in the first game of the second half of the season,[24][25] which saw them slip from first to third. The final playoff spot was held by Tusbab Stallions, who were well off the pace of the top three but had a comfortable points cushion over the chasing pack. The league was halted on 14 March 2020.
Vitiaz kept up the strong pace they had set following the restart on 8 August 2020. They opened with a 2–2 draw with Star Mountain, before new signing from Lae City, Mathew David, scored seven goals in two games[26] – all three in a 3–0 win over Morobe Wawens and four in a 6–3 defeat of Tusbab Stallions – but the final three weeks of the regular season saw them fall to third, with narrow 1–0 defeats to FC Bougainville and Gulf Komara on consecutive weeks[27] followed by a 0–0 draw against eventual Minor Premiers Lae City on the final day. Hekari lost 1–0 to Lae City on 15 August,[28] and were unable to recover the deficit, eventually finishing second in the regular season table behind the reigning champions, who went unbeaten in the second half of the season. The final playoff spot went to Gulf Komara, who leapfrogged a stuttering Tusbab Stallions on the final day with a 5–0 win over Star Mountain.[29]
In the playoffs, Gulf Komara ran Lae City close in the first semi-final before eventually losing 2–1, before Vitiaz United and Hekari United battled out a 2–2 after extra time in the second semi-final, with Vitiaz triumphing on penalties.[4] After Hekari claimed third place after thrashing Gulf Komara 5–0, Lae City won a tight Grand Final with a solitary goal from Obert Bika to claim their sixth successive title.[4]
Regular season[edit]
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lae City (Q) | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 53 | 15 | +38 | 43 | Qualification to OFC Champions League group stage and Playoffs |
| 2 | Hekari United (Q) | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 39 | 10 | +29 | 42 | Qualification to Playoffs |
| 3 | Vitiaz United (Q) | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 37 | |
| 4 | Gulf Komara (Q) | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 27 | 28 | −1 | 25 | |
| 5 | FC Bougainville | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 34 | 33 | +1 | 24 | |
| 6 | Tusbab Stallions | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 28 | −1 | 22 | |
| 7 | Star Mountain | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 25 | 45 | −20 | 18 | |
| 8 | Morobe United | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 32 | −10 | 17 | |
| 9 | Morobe Wawens | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 19 | 38 | −19 | 16 | |
| 10 | FC Kutubu | 18 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 24 | 56 | −32 | 11 |
Results[edit]
Playoffs[edit]
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 3 October – | ||||||
| Lae City | 2 | |||||
| 10 October – | ||||||
| Gulf Komara | 1 | |||||
| Lae City | 1 | |||||
| 3 October – | ||||||
| Vitiaz United | 0 | |||||
| Hekari United | 2 (3) | |||||
| Vitiaz United (a.e.t.) (p) | 2 (4) | |||||
| Third place match | ||||||
| 10 October – | ||||||
| Gulf Komara | 0 | |||||
| Hekari United | 5 | |||||
Semi-finals[edit]
| Lae City | 2–1 | Gulf Komara |
|---|---|---|
Abdias Aguirre  1' (p)Emmanuel Simon 51' |
Report | Rupa Emil 84' |
| Hekari United | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Vitiaz United |
|---|---|---|
| Ati Kepo 10' Daniel Joe 81' (p) |
Report | Yagi Yasasa 17', 36' |
| Penalties | ||
| 3–4 | ||
Third-place playoff[edit]
Grand Final[edit]
Season statistics[edit]
- As of 10 October 2020
Top scorers[edit]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Raymond Gunemba
|
Lae City/Hekari United | 13 |
| 2 | Jonathan Allen
|
FC Bougainville/Vitiaz United | 12 |
| 3 | Stahl Gubag
|
Tusbab Stallions/Lae City | 11 |
| 4 | Mathew David
|
Lae City/Vitiaz United | 10 |
| 5 | Nigel Dabinyaba
|
Lae City/Hekari United | 9 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Kumul Petroleum takes naming rights to NSL". Post Courier. 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ a b Mogi, Jeremy (2019-12-10). "Big Announcements Ahead of NSL Opener". EMTV Online. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ a b c "10-Team PNG NSL kicks off this weekend". Oceania Football Center. 2019-12-10. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ a b c d e f "Papua New Guinea 2019/20". RSSSF. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
- ^ a b "Planned PNG 'Conference Competition' cancelled due to lack of interest". Oceania Football Center. 2019-11-27. Archived from the original on 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
- ^ "Defending champions to fly in today". Post Courier. 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ a b "PNGFA adds comps". The National. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- ^ "PNG National Soccer League Plans Two-Tier Expansion". Oceania Football Center. 2019-10-13. Archived from the original on 2019-10-14. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
- ^ "Twelve Must Become Eight in Delayed Papua New Guinea NSL". Oceania Football Center. 2019-11-13. Archived from the original on 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ "Eight spots up for grab in Kumul Petroleum NSL Premier Competition". PNGFootball.com.pg. 2019-11-13. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ "Papua New Guinea 2019". RSSSF. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ "Lae City Claim Sixth Title After Professional and Polished Performance against Vitiaz". Oceania Football Center. 2020-10-11. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
- ^ a b "PNGFA eyes tier-one competition". The National. 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ a b "NSL winners to attend OFC Cup". Post Courier. 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ "Sport: Further changes proposed for PNG's National Soccer League". RNZ. 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ "FC Kutubu is the new franchise in NSL". Post Courier. 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- ^ "Non submission of registration requirements by franchise clubs cause delay". PNGFootball.com.pg. 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
- ^ Sports, Loop (2020-01-27). "Newcomers hand NSL defending champs their first loss". Loop PNG. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Champions Lae suffer shock defeat as Hekari score late winner vs Stallions". Oceania Football Center. 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Gunemba sacked over OFC exit". The National. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Lae City sacks Peter Gunemba as Bob Morris takes head coach job". Oceania Football Center. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Core Lae City players to walk out of club with sacked manager Gunemba". Oceania Football Center. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Lae FC show solidarity following coach Gunemba's termination". Loop PNG. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Star Mountain stun competition leaders Hekari United". PNGFootball.com.pg. 2020-03-16. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Percy Mataio and the shocking win of his Star Mountain over Hekari". Oceania Football Center. 2020-03-16. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Who is Mathew David of Vitiaz United?". Oceania Football Center. 2020-08-23. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Vitiaz United suffer another upset". Post Courier. 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Lae City smash Hekari". Post Courier. 2020-08-17. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ "Gulf Komara progresses to finals". The National. 2020-09-28. Retrieved 2020-09-30.