PNG Hekari FC has announced the appointment of Iranian-born American coach Matt Badiee as the club's new Head Coach ahead of season two of the OFC Pro League.
Badiee brings an outstanding football résumé spanning more than four decades, and has built a reputation as an elite coach, national staff scout, coaching educator, and player development specialist.
A holder of some of the world's most prestigious coaching qualifications, Badiee possesses the USSF A Licence, UEFA A Licence, UEFA Youth Elite A Licence, German Football Association (DFB) A Licence, Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) Licence, and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) Advanced Coaching Licence.
In addition to his coaching expertise, Badiee has served as a U.S. Soccer National Staff Scout, identifying emerging talent and contributing to elite player pathways across the United States.
His experience also extends to coaching education, where he has mentored and developed coaches at various levels of the game. Most recently, Badiee was part of the St. James Football Club in Virginia, USA, where he worked as a coach and analyst for the club's Girls Academy programme.
Speaking on his new role after arriving in Port Moresby yesterday, Badiee expressed excitement about the opportunity to work with one of Papua New Guinea's most successful football clubs and contribute to the continued growth of football in the region.
"I am blessed to be in PNG and be among some of the most decent people I have ever known and looking forward to winning some big games for PNG Hekari FC," Badiee said.
“I am extremely excited, it’s one of the best group of athletes I have seen, and I think we have all the ingredients to be one of the top teams in Oceania. I think the players over here as far as athleticism have all the ingredients.
They have speed, they work hard and we just need to teach them about game awareness, understanding the game, when to do what, where to do it,” Badiee added
Badiee has just over four months to prepare PNG Hekari FC for season two of the Pro League and is determined to leave no stone unturned.
"The plan is to make sure that we leave nothing to be regretted. I don’t like ifs, buts and excuses and I don’t fear anything. If that is a mentality our team will do just fine and we will create entertaining football, we will be attacking and defend like there’s no tomorrow.”