The Papua New Guinea Women's National Football team is out to make their nation's dreams come true — and they might just do it.
Dubbed the "football queens of the Pacific", they are on a campaign to compete for World Cup qualification and, as five-time gold medallists of the Pacific Games, the pressure is mounting.
The first step in reaching their goal is winning the OFC Women's Nations Cup in Fiji, which will run from July 13 to July 30.
From there, the OFC Cup winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-off against nine other nations vying for the remaining three spots at the 2023 World Cup, which will be played in Australia and New Zealand.
The PNG women — led by English coach Nicola Demaine — may just have the OFC Cup in their grasp with New Zealand, their biggest competitor, out of the picture having automatically qualified as a host nation.
PNG have been placed in Group B with Vanuatu and Tahiti.
Demaine says it's hard to tell how their playing styles have changed, but PNG will have to perform.
"All games will be must-wins for us, as our aim will be to win the group," Demaine said.
Speed, depth and teamwork all part of the strategy
Demaine is counting on the speed of her players to make inroads.
PNG are also banking on their depth as a team that's made up of experienced players and debutantes.
Under the guidance of a proficient coach, it may just be what they need to make history for the country and qualify.
Demaine says the team is set on working together to achieve their ultimate goal.
"Right now we are focused on bonding as a team, which [has] proved to be a factor in the team's success in the past," Demaine said.
"At the end of the day, there's going to be an element of luck there. It's a tough goal to achieve.
"But the pathway's there … so, if we can win the Nations Cup, then we prepare as best we can for stage two.
The team's current training programs include gym and field sessions, psychology sessions and drawing on the expertise of a nutritionist.
Preparing when resources are scarce
Following the 2019 Pacific Games, there has been little to no premiere domestic competition for the women in PNG and zero international fixtures until the team's recent appearance in the Tri-Nations series in April against hosts Singapore and Seychelles, where PNG won both matches.
Over the years, much of the focus of the PNG Football Association has been on the men's national team, and their premiere league, as opposed to the women's.
However, it was the PNG women who thrived and proved to be successful in the Pacific, with an improved FIFA ranking (49th) while the PNG men are ranked 162.
"It would just be amazing to see them achieve that kind of thing. It's different to other countries in how they are trying to qualify [for the World Cup]," Demaine said.
The women's team is currently having friendly matches with some local under-18 men's teams, but they're hopeful of having a few international friendlies in Asia or Australia before the OFC Cup.
"We're hoping to travel and play in the FIFA windows in June 20 to 28," Demaine said.
"My plan was always to play an international fixture in all the FIFA windows but that's subject to approval and budgeting available to the team."
Getting some help from a former great
Meanwhile, former national captain Deslyn Siniu has been managing the team's welfare as well as boosting their preparations with her experience.
"Ideally, having more friendlies similar to Tri-Nations Series in Singapore, gives a better understanding of the team's capabilities and more game time.
"We want to build on the success and lessons of previous friendlies to ensure that we enter the tournament at the top of our game.
The weight of expectations
Team captain Gabong says playing for PNG comes with huge responsibility and expectations.
She says that, sometimes, the hardest thing about representing your country is when you don't succeed.
"People's expectation for us to win when we're abroad competing are way too high, but there's only little that we can do," Gabong said.
"But the feeling we get when we're about to take the field in another country, with the jersey displaying the PNG colours, while singing the national anthem as our flag is being raised, it's the best thing that we could have in our life.
"We just want to stay focused and take each day at a time, to get ourselves prepared to go out there and compete in the OFC Cup," Gabong said.
Before their campaign to excel at the international arena kicks-off in Fiji, the PNG women have three more domestic friendlies and a couple of international fixtures scheduled for June, in a journey with a true purpose.
"I'm pretty sure qualifying for the World Cup is everyone's dream and, individually, as players, it's our dream," Gabong said.
Patricia Keamo is a sports reporter at The National in Papua New Guinea. She is part of ABC International Development’s Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.
