Gunemba is Hekari’s go-to man

Papua New Guinea’s seasoned football campaigner, Raymond Gunemba, continues to perform at an elite level and put the inaugural Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Professional League on notice despite his age. 

Gunemba is the oldest player in the PNG Hekari FC lineup to make his debut in the first-ever OFC Pro League, providing steady leadership in the front, barking orders, and making his presence visible on the pitch. 

The 39-year-old unleashed his attacking prowess in the opening round of circuit 2 last Saturday (January 31st) against the competition leaders, Auckland FC, and another clinical man-of-the-match performance against Vanuatu United on Tuesday (February 4th). 

His leadership and game awareness had proven decisive upfront, with the experienced forward showcasing top-tier football and threatening both Auckland FC and Vanuatu United in front of the vocal home crowd.  

Following a controversial 2-2 draw with Vanuatu, Gunemba criticized some of the referee’s on-field decisions, including the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which snubbed Hekari’s first victory in the elite competition.

“I am happy with our performance. We looked forward to collecting the 3 points, but the VAR’s decision robbed us of our win. We are very disappointed,” he said. 

The talisman added that the team is gelling well, saying: “We are improving bit by bit, and starting to build our combinations. We are slowly getting there.” 

Interestingly, midfielder Joseph Joe made history against Vanuatu, becoming Hekari’s first professional player to score the club’s maiden goal in the OFC Pro League at Port Moresby’s Santos National Football Stadium.    

The Morobean man noted that Hekari haven't scored any goals since the competition kicked off on January 17th, expressing that to score 2 goals after five rounds shows that the team is heading in the right direction. 

Just when Hekari started to find their rhythm, they hit a snag with the suspension of central defender, Erick Joe, who received a red card against Vanuatu United. Fortunately, the Jerry Allen-coached men will welcome Ati Kepo this weekend after a three-game suspension.

Despite this obstacle, Gunemba said Hekari had shown improvement in their last two matches against Auckland and Vanuatu, encouraging his teammates to step up and deliver another strong performance. 

As Hekari anticipate facing New Zealand’s South Island United on Saturday (February 7th), Gunemba will play a key role, with the team showing optimism about tasting their maiden victory to wrap up the OFC Pro League Circuit 2 campaign with a positive outcome on home soil.