MSG PM’s Cup Finals Rescheduled

From left to right: MSG Sports Committee Bill Henry, Tournament Director Noel Mobiha, and Tournament Director's Officer Paul Isorua.

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Prime Minister’s Cup concluded its round-robin games on Monday (17th November) and is preparing to host the playoffs.

The finals were initially slated for today (19th November), but due to FIFA’s 48-hour resting period for the players and officials, the games were rescheduled to tomorrow (20th November).

Tournament Director, Noel Mobiha, clarified the rescheduling of the finals today (19th November) during a press conference held at Sir John Guise Stadium.

“The reason why we are rescheduling the finals is because one team (New Caledonia) didn’t turn up and the Host Organizing Committee (HOC) had only a week to prepare, which affected the draws,” he explained.

“We are very concerned about the welfare and safety of the players, including the officials and team management, and hence, this 48-hour break will fulfill FIFA’s requirement.   

“Despite this setback, we are ready to host the semi-finals tomorrow and look forward to finishing the tournament on Sunday.”

HOC representative, Paul Isorua, further emphasized the reason behind the rescheduling of the finals, citing FIFA’s strict compliance for players’ safety, including the match officials’ welfare. 

MSG Sports Committee, Bill Henry, said that though the finals had been disrupted, they had no choice but to comply with FIFA’s regulation. 

PNG Football Stadium will host four semi-final matches tomorrow (20th November), featuring two women’s and two men’s fixtures, with the grand final to be staged on Sunday, 23rd November. 

The following are the four semi-final matches scheduled for tomorrow:

• PNG vs Solomon Islands (women’s) - 10:00 am

• Fiji vs Vanuatu (women’s) - 1:00 pm

• PNG vs Fiji (men’s) - 4:00 pm

• Vanuatu vs Solomon Islands (men’s) - 7:00 pm