2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League
The 2019–20 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Kumul Petroleum Resources National Soccer League, is 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.
Lae City are the defending champions, having won their fifth title with a penalty shoot-out victory over eight-time champions Hekari United in the 2019 edition.
Format
Following the successful management of the previous season, which involved 27 teams spread across all four regions of the country, PNGFA president John Kapi Natto suggested that the following season may be the first to have two connected divisions of football in the nation, with six to eight teams in a top-level 'elite' competition, and any number of teams competing in regional divisions a level below. Lae City manager Peter Gunemba praised this idea.In October 2019, it was confirmed that Kapi Natto intended to go ahead with an eight-team National Soccer League, taking place alongside a 'Premier Men's Conference', with four conferences representing the four regions of the country: Northern, Southern, Highlands and Islands. The national league was expanded to ten in December 2019, following the cancellation of the conference competition in late November due to lack of interest.
Teams
On 27 November 2019, a new club, FC Kutubu, from Kutubu, were the first team to be officially confirmed ahead of the new season. It was suggested that the side would be the only club representing the Highlands Region in the new season. On 5 December, reigning champions Lae City, eight-time champions Hekari United, and Port Moresby-based FC Bougainville were also confirmed. On 10 December 2019, the remaining six teams were confirmed.This was the first season since 2009–10 that Besta PNG United did not participate in the competition.
| Team | Region | Previous Best | Other Honours |
| Hekari United | Southern | 2006–14: Champions | 2009–10 OFC Champions League: Champions 2017 National Premier League: Champions 2007 Port Moresby Premier League: Champions |
| Lae City | Northern | 2015–19: Champions | 2018, 2019 OFC Champions League: Quarter-Finalists |
| Morobe United | Northern | 2009–10: Runners-up | 1998 National Club Championship: Runners-Up 2001, 2005 Lae Regional Championship: Champions |
| Morobe Wawens | Northern | 2018: 3rd | None |
| Gulf Komara | Southern | 2015–16: Southern Conference: 4th | 2018 National Premier League: Champions |
| FC Bougainville | Southern | 2019: Southern Conference: 4th | None |
| Star Mountain | Southern | 2019: Southern Conference: 7th | 1999 North Fly District: Champions |
| Tusbab Stallions | Northern | 2019: Northern Conference: 8th | None |
| Vitiaz United | Southern | N/A | 2019 Port Moresby Division One: Champions |
| FC Kutubu | Highlands | N/A | None |