8 Oct 2010

PNG claim underdog tag in women football

2:29 pm on 8 October 2010

Papua New Guinea are happy with the underdogs tag ahead of today's Oceania Women's Nations Cup football final against New Zealand.

PNG are unbeaten in four matches, after squeezing past Cook Islands 1-0 in their semi-final on Wednesday but the New Zealanders are no different, having racked up 39 goals without conceding along the way.

PNG coach Francis Moyap also has to deal with the setback of losing his first choice goalkeeper for today's final and says, realistically, the game is New Zealand's to lose.

"New Zealand has always been on top of us and this team here today - I can honestly say - half the team is new and that's why New Zealand would have a better chance than the PNG team. In saying that everybody has played football so we actually are training to go all out against New Zealand because, we know, we are basically the underdogs."

Francis Moyap says he's proud New Zealand has represented Oceania in world tournaments in recent years but says his side will still give them a run for their money.