Hekari breaks silence on Gusmao’s exit

Former Hekari coach Marcos Gusmao during one of the training sessions earlier this year *(Image: Hekari)*

PNG Hekari FC management has finally broken its silence regarding the abrupt departure of former Head Coach Marcos Gusmao, revealing that player wellbeing and dressing room friction led to the Brazilian's exit.

The club addressed the matter during a press conference in Port Moresby yesterday, months after Gusmao's departure sent shockwaves through the national football fraternity.

Gusmao parted ways with Hekari following a 2-0 loss to Auckland FC in round two of the inaugural OFC Pro League earlier this year. At the time, the club issued a brief statement citing personal reasons for his resignation. However, Gusmao later countered that narrative in the media, claiming the club failed to meet his expectations and criticizing the squad's depth.

In a February interview with PNG Hausbung, Gusmao was quoted as saying: "Everything went wrong from the start; the club should have brought in players from the Papua New Guinea national team. The current group doesn’t have enough experience for a tournament like this."

While Hekari management initially remained tight-lipped to focus on their campaign, PNG Hekari FC Director Vonnie Kapi Natto set the record straight yesterday, stating that parting ways with the manager was necessary to safeguard the players and staff.

PNG Hekari FC officials in a press conference yesterday in Port Moresby *(Image: NBC News / Isaac Liri)*

"He had a very bad relationship with the players," Kapi Natto revealed. "When he was upset with the players, he swore at them. He had a go at all the players, and we received complaints from them.

"We kept quiet and we caught all the bullets. He needs to apologize to Hekari and the people of Papua New Guinea because he wasn't telling the truth."

Current Head Coach Jerry Allen, who took over the reins, supported the management's stance and slammed Gusmao's technical approach to the pre-season.

"I've worked with many coaches around the world, but with this guy, I really struggled. He didn't have a plan. We wasted three months, and that's the truth," Allen said in Tok Pisin, recalling their preparation period.

Because the OFC Pro League requires a Pro-Licensed coach, the governing body granted Hekari a leniency waiver to allow Allen [who holds a B-License] to guide the team through the remainder of the 2026 season. The exemption was made on the condition that the club recruits a Pro-License coach for next year.

PNG Hekari FC General Manager Wira Wama confirmed that the club is already moving forward and will announce a new Pro-Licensed Head Coach later this year to work alongside Allen ahead of the next pre-season.