Solomon Kings FC kick off their Round Two campaign of the inaugural OFC Pro League this Sunday, February 1, with a highly anticipated clash against Roy Krishna’s Bula FC at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
The Kings arrived in Port Moresby on Thursday and remain unbeaten after two matches in the opening circuit last week in Auckland, where they recorded one win and one draw.
Speaking to the media upon arrival, Kings captain Philip Mango described the competition as challenging but said there were encouraging signs from the team’s Round One performances.
“The tournament has been pretty tough. We managed to win one game and draw one game, and it’s not easy, especially playing in a new professional environment,” Mango said.
“But I’m really happy with how the boys performed. It’s been very convincing, and we’re looking forward to the matches here in PNG as well,” he added.
Mango also noted that the climate in Port Moresby could work in Solomon Kings’ favour, compared to the cooler conditions experienced in Auckland last week.
“The climate here is similar to back home, so that helps us a lot. There are big expectations for the boys here in Port Moresby, and we’ll give our very best in this round,” he said.
The Kings captain also called on the Solomon Islands community in Port Moresby to turn out in numbers and support the team during their PNG fixtures.
“I would like to encourage all our supporters and Solomon Islands people here in Port Moresby to come out and support the boys. We are representing our country and our club,” Mango said.
Looking ahead to Round Two, Mango stressed that the team’s focus will be on sticking to their game plan and collecting maximum points.
Following their opener against Bula FC, the Ben Cahn-coached side will face South Island United on Wednesday, February 4, before wrapping up the round against league leaders Auckland FC on Saturday, February 7.
The match will be played this afternoon at around 4:30pm SI Time.
By TIMOTHY INIFIRI JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
