University Inter F.C.

Last updated

University Inter
University Inter FC logo.png
Full nameUniversity Inter Football Club
Founded1969
Ground Lloyd Robson Oval
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Capacity15,000

University Inter, founded as ANZ University and formerly known also as ICF University, and, simply, University, is the oldest known semi-professional club soccer club in Papua New Guinea, founded in 1969. [1] It is the soccer club on the campus of the University of Papua New Guinea, based in Port Moresby.

Contents

The club's finest hour came when they were given the opportunity to represent Papua New Guinea at the 2007–08 OFC Champions League, after they won the 2006 Papua New Guinea National Club Championship and defeated Hekari United in a continental playoff. The side also won four consecutive National Club Championships between 1995 and 1998, and won the Port Moresby Premier League seven times between 1996 and 2012. [2]

History

Foundation and early years

The club was founded in 1969, [1] but records of the club's competitive history are vague until the mid-1990s, although it has been claimed that they have won over 30 national titles. [2] They collected the Papua New Guinea National Club Championship title in both 1995 and 1996, as well as lifting the Port Moresby Premier League in 1996 too. They secured a 2–0 victory over Babaka FC in the 1997 final, which won them their third consecutive title. [3] They won their fourth in a row the following year, defeating Blue Kumuls 1–0 in the final; [4] this would be their last national title for eight years. However, later that year, they went on to win the 1998 Port Moresby Premier League by defeating Rapatona 2–1 in the grand final. [4]

It is unclear as to whether the team took part in the 1999 National Club Championship, but regionally, the side finished 5th in the regular season table of the Port Moresby Premier League, before securing 4th place through the playoffs, losing 1–0 to Rapatona in a repeat of the previous year's final. [5] This poor performance meant they failed to qualify for the 2000 National Club Championship, although did finish top of the 2000 Port Moresby Premier League by five points, thus qualifying them for the following season's national event. This performance did not translate to the knockout stages though, where they were only able to finish third. [6]

In 2001, the side reached the final of both the Port Moresby Premier League and the National Club Championship. Regionally, they defeated Cosmos 3–2 in the major semi-final before a 1–0 victory over PS United secured them their first title for three years. In the National Club Championship, despite a 6–1 drubbing of Hatolol in the semi-finals, the side were unable to translate this form into the final, losing 3–0 to Sobou FC. [7] However, their domestic title ensured they would take part in the 2002 competition as well; however, Sobou were again their undoing, with title holders against putting three past University in a 3–1 semi-final defeat, with University having to settle for third place. [8] In the Port Moresby Premier League, the side were able to secure their second consecutive title despite finishing 2nd in the league, defeating Rapatona 3–1 in the grand final. [8]

In 2003, the side failed to get out of the group stages of the National Club Championship, while losing 2–1 against Cosmos in the Port Moresby Premier League grand final. [9] The following season they fared no better, again failing to get past the group stages nationally, and finishing 4th in the regional competition. [10] This was not enough to qualify them for the 2005 National Club Championship, but they were able to finish top of the 2005 Port Moresby Premier League table, securing national qualification again despite losing 2–0 to PS Rutz in the grand final. [11]

OFC and NSL debuts

2006–2007 was one of the most successful periods in the club's history, and gained them reputation on a continental scale they had otherwise been unable to attain. From 5–9 June 2006, the side took part in the 2006 National Club Championship, and despite losing to Sobou FC in Pool A, the side still managed to qualify for the knockout stages as group runners-up. In the semi-finals, they faced PS Rutz, and scraped through 3–2 after extra time. In the grand final they faced Sobou FC again, and were able to hold the side to a 0–0 draw before defeating them on penalties, picking up their first national title since 1998. [12] However, with the creation of the semi-professional Papua New Guinea National Soccer League (NSL), this no longer automatically made them national champions, nor did it qualify them for the OFC Champions League, which was in its infancy as a rebrand. They would have to defeat the inaugural champions of the NSL in a two-legged playoff in order to debut in their first ever continental competition.

In the meantime, the side completed another successful Port Moresby Premier League campaign, finishing top of the division before defeating Rapatona 4–2 on penalties in the grand final on 15 October 2006. On 25 November 2006, it was revealed that the side would have to face NSL Champions PRK Souths United in the continental playoff, which took place on 9 and 16 December 2006. In a surprise result, University emerged 4–2 winners on aggregate, and qualified for the 2007–08 OFC Champions League. [13]

In June 2007, the side travelled to New Caledonia for the preliminary round of the Champions League. The side finished third in the group, after losing 2–0 to JS Baco of New Caledonia and 5–1 to Tafea of Vanuatu, while the Cook Islands representative Nikao withdrew. This was not enough to see them through to the main competition. With the 2007 National Club Championship cancelled, the side were able to focus on their regional performance, finishing 2nd in the 2007 Port Moresby Premier League table behind Souths United, before facing Souths in the grand final. The National Soccer League side were able to take revenge on University with a 2–1 victory to deny Inter a second consecutive title. [14]

The following season, the team made the decision to turn semi-professional and enter the 2008–09 National Soccer League. [15] Fresh from their third-place finish in the 2008 Port Moresby Premier League, the club was given soccer equipment valued at around K3,000 by German consulting company Deutsche Montan Technologies. [16] The side ended up finishing second in the league table before losing 2–1 to Rapatona in the semi-finals, being awarded third place overall after the third-place playoff and the final were cancelled. [17]

They entered the 2009–10 season too, finishing fourth in the league table and again qualifying for the semi-finals. However, they faced a dominant Hekari United side, who thrashed them 7–1. [18] In the third-place playoff, they once again lost to Rapatona, 3–1, meaning they finished the season in 4th place. [19]

Return to regional competition

The side decided not to return to National Soccer League action ahead of the 2010–11 season, and with the National Club Championship now defunct, the side took a step back to return solely to regional competition. In the 2010 edition, they defeated Yamaros 2–0 in the grand final to pick up their first title for five years, [20] while in 2011, the side lost out to the Port Moresby School of Excellence (POMSoE) in the knockout stages, losing 2–1. [21] [22]

However, they would return to the top of Port Moresby football in 2012, finishing third in the regular season table [23] but progressing through the knockout stages to the final, where they once again defeated Yamaros 1–0 with a goal from Felix Bondaluke to secure a second title in three years. [24] [25] The following season they finished 4th, [26] while in 2014 they only managed to finish 6th. [27]

After a two-year absence, the side reached the 2017 Premier League final, losing out to Mungkas 2–0 in December 2017. [28] [29] They maintained their excellent form the following season, finishing third, [30] while 2019 saw them come in second behind Mungkas. [31] [32]

Honours

National competitions

Regional competitions

Related Research Articles

The Papua New Guinea National Club Championship is the top amateur division of soccer in Papua New Guinea. It is a nationwide league and was probably founded in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sobou F.C.</span> Football club

Sobou FC, previously known for sponsorship reasons as Cellnet Sobou and Telikom Sobou, is an amateur association football team based in Lae, Papua New Guinea. The club appears to have been in existence since the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hekari United F.C.</span> Football club

Hekari United, formerly known as POM Souths, Souths United, PRK Souths United and Hekari Souths United, is a professional soccer club formed in 2006, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morobe United F.C.</span> Papua New Guinea football club

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 soccer club founded in the 1970s and based in Lae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapatona F.C.</span> Football club

Rapatona Football Club, formerly known as Inspac Rapatona FC, CMSS Rapatona Tigers FC, Moresby Casino Hotel and currently referred to as PKA Rapatona FC for sponsorship reasons, is a Papua New Guinean soccer club, based in Port Moresby and founded in 1982.

Besta Madang Fighters was a short-lived Papua New Guinea semi-professional football club founded in 2007, based in Madang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papua New Guinea National Soccer League</span> Association football league in Papua New Guinea

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.

Michael Foster is a Papua New Guinean football player who plays as a midfielder for Hekari United, and for the Papua New Guinea national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Besta PNG United</span> U23 football club in Papua New Guinea

Besta PNG United, sometimes known as Besta United PNG, is a semi-professional soccer 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F.C. Port Moresby</span> Association football club

FC Port Moresby is a semi-professional soccer club based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Founded in 2012, the club competed three times in the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League until the league split in 2016. Their best result came in their debut season, 2013, when they finished as runners-up behind Hekari United, losing 3–0 in the Grand Final.

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.

The 2009–10 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season, known as the Telikom NSL Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the fourth edition of Papua New Guinea National Soccer League.

The 2008–09 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season, known as the Telikom NSL Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the third edition of Papua New Guinea National Soccer League.

The 2007–08 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League season, known as the Telikom NSL Cup for sponsorship purposes, was the second edition of the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitech F.C.</span> Football club

Unitech FC, known in the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League as Tukoko University Lae FC, is a semi-professional soccer club based in Lae, Papua New Guinea. The club was founded in around 1994. It is the football club on the campus of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PS Rutz</span> Association football club

PS Rutz, formerly PS United and recently known for sponsorship reasons as PS Huawei United, is a semi-professional soccer club founded in 1992 and based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Admiralty F.C. (Papua New Guinea)</span> Semi-professional football club in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Komara F.C.</span> Association football club based in Papua New Guinea

Komara Gulf F.C., currently known for as PRK Komara Gulf for sponsorship reasons, and formerly as Erema Gulf F.C., is a professional soccer club representing the Gulf Province in Papua New Guinea.

Yamaros FC, formerly known as Vats Yamaros or Vitis Yamaros for sponsorship reasons, is a semi-professional association football club based in Gerehu, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, founded around 2010.

FC Momase, formerly known as Meril Momase, is a semi-professional association football club based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and founded sometime before 1984.

References

  1. 1 2 "Papua New Guinea - Foundation Dates of Clubs". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Papua New Guinea - List of Champions". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  3. "Papua New Guinea 1997". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Papua New Guinea 1998". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  5. "Papua New Guinea 1999". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  6. "Papua New Guinea 2000". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  7. "Papua New Guinea 2001". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Papua New Guinea 2002". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  9. "Papua New Guinea 2003". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  10. "Papua New Guinea 2004". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  11. "Papua New Guinea 2005". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  12. "Papua New Guinea 2006". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  13. "Papua New Guinea 2006". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  14. "Papua New Guinea 2007". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  15. "NAMBASA FC JOIN EXPANDED PNGFA NSL TELIKOM CUP | Oceania Football Confederation". Oceania Football Confederation. 12 September 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  16. "SOCCER MAD GERMANS HELP OUT PNG UNIVERSITY SIDE | Oceania Football Confederation". Oceania Football Confederation. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  17. "Papua New Guinea 2008". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  18. "Uni outclassed - The National". The National. 11 April 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  19. "Papua New Guinea 2009". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  20. "Papua New Guinea 2010/11". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  21. "POMSOE keep finals hopes alive - The National". The National. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  22. "Papua New Guinea 2011/12". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  23. "Yamaros bag Super League's minor title - The National". The National. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  24. "Uni win first Super crown - The National". The National. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  25. "Papua New Guinea 2012/13". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  26. "Papua New Guinea 2013". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  27. "Momase see off Uni in intense finish - The National". The National. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  28. "Mungkas claim PMSA title - The National". The National. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  29. "Double celebration for Mungkas | PNGFootball.com.pg". PNGFootball.com.pg. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  30. "Papua New Guinea 2018". RSSSF . Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  31. "Papua New Guinea 2019". RSSSF . Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  32. "PS Rutz End Mungkas' Three-Year Reign at the Top of Port Moresby Football". Oceania Football Center. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.