| Season | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 13 January 2018 – 26 May 2018 |
| Champions | Toti City FC (4th title) |
| 2019 OFC Champions League | Toti City FC Morobe Wawens |
← 2017 2019 → | |
The 2018 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League was the 12th edition of Papua New Guinea National Soccer League. The league ran from 13 January to 26 May 2018.
The title was won by Toti City, formerly Lae City Dwellers, who picked up their fourth title with a 3–0 victory over Besta PNG United in the Grand Final. Toti, alongside FC Morobe Wawens, qualified for the 2019 OFC Champions League by virtue of their final league position. [1] [2]
The season was the second and final following the league split, with the league expanding to seven teams from six the previous season. Reigning champions Lae City Dwellers returned under a new name – Toti City FC – while Besta PNG United, Madang FC and Buang FC also returned. Southern Strikers, who had initially planned to take part in the 2017 season, were the first team confirmed as competing, [3] while there were debuts for FC Morobe Wawens and FC Momase. [2]
| Team | Previous Best | Other Honours |
|---|---|---|
| Toti City F.C. | 2015, 2015–16, 2017: Champions | None |
| Madang F.C. | 2015, 2017: Runners-Up | None |
| Besta PNG United | 2011–12, 2013, 2017: Third | None |
| Buang F.C. | 2017: 5th | None |
| F.C. Momase | N/A | 2013 Port Moresby Premier League: Champions |
| Southern Strikers | N/A | None |
| F.C. Morobe Wawens | N/A | None |
Seven teams played in the league during the regular season, and teams played home and away, with the team at the top of the league after all matches were played crowned as 'Minor Premiers'. The top two secured qualification for the 2018 OFC Champions League. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams advanced to a knockout competition, the winners of which were crowned Champions.
In early January, shortly after the season began, the PNGFA were banned from using all PNG Sports Foundation facilities due to outstanding payments from the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, which took place in the country. [4]
Reigning champions Toti City made a strong start to the season, picking up big wins in their second and third fixtures, defeating Buang FC 8–1 and Madang FC 7–2 on back-to-back weekends to go clear at the top after just three weeks. [2] [5] It was a position they would not relinquish for the remainder of the season, eventually going unbeaten, dropping points in the second half of the season with draws against Madang and Southern Strikers. [2]
The battle for second place, and with it the second OFC Champions League spot, was far closer. Initially, it looked like Madang would be Toti's closest rivals, as they sat four points ahead of third-placed Morobe Wawens in mid-March. However, a 2–0 defeat on 17 March to Besta PNG United [6] and a defeat by the same scoreline to Wawens on the final official matchday 21 April saw them slip to fourth, while Wawens' victory propelled them into the second spot. [2] [7]
On May 3, after the end of the officially scheduled fixtures, it was decided that all the remaining matches were to be forfeited, as only the top four sides had paid their affiliation fee in full. [8] However, by the following week, Southern Strikers settled their fee, and their remaining matches were rescheduled, while Buang and Momase had 0–3 defeats awarded against them in all their outstanding fixtures. [8] [9] Southern Strikers eventually finished fifth, outside the qualification to the playoffs, and their rearranged matches had no effect on the final standings.
In the playoffs, Toti City reached their fourth consecutive Grand Final with a penalty shoot-out victory over Madang in the first semi-final, while third-placed Besta PNG United defeated second-placed Wawens. In the final Toti City claimed their fourth title with a 3–0 victory over Besta PNG. [2] [10]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toti City | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 15 | +31 | 32 | Qualification to 2019 OFC Champions League and Playoffs |
| 2 | Morobe Wawens | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 18 | +18 | 24 | |
| 3 | Besta PNG United | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 14 | +11 | 22 | Qualification to Playoffs |
| 4 | Madang FC | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 20 | |
| 5 | Southern Strikers | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 29 | −12 | 12 | |
| 6 | FC Momase | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 33 | −22 | 5 [lower-alpha 1] | |
| 7 | Buang FC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 51 | −46 | 0 [lower-alpha 1] |
All matches at Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium, Lae.
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 20 May | ||||||
| Toti City (a.e.t.)(p) | 2 (5) | |||||
| 26 May | ||||||
| Madang FC | 2 (4) | |||||
| Toti City | 3 | |||||
| 20 May | ||||||
| Besta PNG United | 0 | |||||
| Morobe Wawens | 0 | |||||
| Besta PNG United | 1 | |||||
| Third place | ||||||
| 26 May | ||||||
| Madang FC | 0 | |||||
| Morobe Wawens | 2 | |||||
| Toti City | 3–0 | Besta PNG United |
|---|---|---|
Dabinyaba  10'David 47'Gunemba |
Hekari United, formerly known as POM Souths, Souths United, PRK Souths United and Hekari Souths United, is a professional football club formed in 2006, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Morobe United FC, formerly known as Blue Kumuls (1970s–2005), Shorncliffe Blue Kumuls (2005), Tuguba Laitepo Blue Kumuls (2006), Morobe Kumuls FC (2007), Gigira Laitepo Morobe FC, Gigira Laitepo Central Coast FC (2011–12), and Welgris Morobe United FC, are a Papua New Guinea professional football club founded in the 1970s and based in Lae.
Madang Football Club, formerly known as Madang Flying Fox, Madang Niupetro Fox or simply Madang Fox, was a Papua New Guinea football club, based in Madang.
The KPHL National Soccer League, also known as the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited National Soccer League for sponsorship reasons, is the men's top division of professional soccer in Papua New Guinea. It is a nationwide league formed in 2006 by Papua New Guinea Football Association.
The 2013 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season, known as the Telikom NSL Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the seventh edition of Papua New Guinea National Soccer League.
Besta PNG United, sometimes known as Besta United PNG, is a semi-professional association football club, based in Lae, Papua New Guinea. The side acts as the national development team of the Papua New Guinea Football Association, and is limited to players who are under the age of 23.
The 2015 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season, known as the Telikom NSL Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the ninth edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League.
The 2014 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season, known as the Telikom NSL Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the eighth edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League.
Lae City FC, formerly known as Lae City Dwellers FC or Toti City FC, is a professional football club founded in 2014 and based in Lae, Papua New Guinea. The side currently plays in the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, the highest level of football competition in PNG.
The 2015–16 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season, known as the Telikom NSL Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the tenth edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League.
Nigel Dabinyaba, sometimes spelt Nigel Dabingyaba, is a Papua New Guinean footballer who plays as a forward for Lae City FC in the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, as well as the Papua New Guinea national team.
The 2017 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season was the 11th edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League.
Morobe Wawens are a professional football club founded in late 2017 and based in Morobe, Papua New Guinea.
The 2019 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited National Soccer League, was the 13th edition of Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, the top-tier football league in Papua New Guinea. It started on 26 January 2019. Toti City F.C. were the defending champions.
Admiralty FC, often referred to as Admiralty Palaiau, Admiralty Paliau, Admiralty Peliau or Admiralty Peliou, was a semi-professional association football club based in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea.
Port Moresby Strikers, also known as Southern Strikers, are a professional football club founded in 2017 and based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Buang FC, previously known for sponsorship reasons as Prima Buang FC, is a semi-professional association football club founded sometime before 2013, and based in the Mount Hagen district of Papua New Guinea.
Laiwaden FC is a semi-professional association football club based in Madang, Papua New Guinea. The club was founded in 2017.
The 2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, for sponsorship reasons also known as the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited National Soccer League, was the 14th edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, the top-tier football league in Papua New Guinea. The league began on 14 December 2019, after being postponed three times due to late registration fees, and finished on 10 October 2020, after almost a five-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, for sponsorship reasons also known as the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited National Soccer League, is the 15th edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, the top-tier football league in Papua New Guinea. The league started on 24 July.
 | This article about an Oceania Football Confederation association football competition is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |