The Papua New Guinea Football Association has acknowledged some faults and says significant progress is being made towards the country's rival football factions coming back together under one roof.
A breakaway football body, Football Federation PNG, was launched in February last year after seven local associations were suspended by the PNG Football Association.
The rival organisation, run by former PNGFA Vice President John Kapi Natto, is not recognised by FIFA but met with officials from the governing body last week and has agreed to close up shop in the interests of football and with an eye to the suspended associations being brought back under the PNG Football Association.
PNGFA General Secretary Dimirit Mileng said they have been in regular talks with FFPNG officials and both sides want to end the stand-off.
"The individual associations that have been members of PNGFA, yes we welcome them to come back into PNGFA provided that certain requirements of their compliance issues are addressed and we understand their situation," he said.
"It's up to the Executive Committee and finally the Congress to uplift their suspensions."
2010 OFC Champions League winners Hekari United have played in Football Federation PNG's rival National Premier League for the past two years. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Last year the PNGFA and its Electoral Committee said the suspended members had been unable to provide evidence their clubs has paid annual subscription fees and/or club competition entry fees, while some associations did not have active competitions running in their areas.
"We will work towards having one association but we will work with the individual associations who are outside (PNGFA) to bring them back on board," said Mileng.
"Each one has a different issue - the issues are not the same - so you will have to deal with each issue as they are rather than put everybody under one situation and say this is what will happen."
Representatives from world governing body FIFA visited Papua New Guinea last week and spent two days meeting with stakeholders in the football community.
Former FIFA Vice President David Chung quit his roles as the President of both Oceania Football and the PNGFA in April, two days before a meeting of the OFC executive when it was understood he would face a vote of no-confidence.
Dimirit Mileng acknowledged the association had been far from perfect in recent years.
"FIFA was here to establish how we have been operating. We have issues - PNGFA has issues," he admitted.
"Not just of the rift between the member associations but there are other issue relating our structure and our organisational activities. We have had the Under 20 Women's World Cup (hosted in PNG in 2016) and we had issues with our debts."
The FIFA Under 20 Women's World Cup opening ceremony at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby. Photo: PNG Football Association
RNZ Pacific understands FIFA is working on a Memorandum of Understanding which will be signed by all parties later this month, with a view to the suspended associations having their PNGFA membership restored in time for the scheduled Congress/AGM in September.
