Coaching Team in Papua
Head Coach:
Coach Heidi Scheunemann, MBA (UEFA B+ License)
Coach Heidi is originally from Germany but has been living with her family in Papua since 1996. In 2005, she became an Indonesian Women’s Football Tournament Champion as a player with the Papua team.
Since 2009, Coach Heidi has been dedicated to developing the skills of talented teenage girls in football and futsal. Her former team, Galanita Persipura, won numerous tournaments between 2009 and 2015.
Between 2015 and 2025, 13 of Coach Heidi’s players have been successfully selected to represent Indonesia on the U-15, U-19, and Senior Women’s National Teams.
Assistant Coach:
Silce Mess
(AFC-D License)
Former football player for the Papua provincial team PRA-PON Papua.
Coach Heidi began coaching Silce in 2018, when Silce was 13 years old.
Since the founding of the football school SSB Mutiara Timur in October 2024, Silce has played a crucial role as an assistant coach.
She also helps as a referee in friendly matches and recently participated in a FIFA-sponsored coaching course to earn her first official coaching license.
Assistant Coach:
Miss Vera Aronggear
(AFC D License; Sports Teacher at SMA ASISI High School in Sentani, Papua; Former Player for Galanita Persipura, 2009–2015)
Vera was coached by Coach Heidi starting in 2009, when she was still in middle school. After her playing career, she became a school teacher and has coached and managed multiple teams at the two schools where she has worked over the past 10 years.
Whenever her teaching schedule allows, she supports the coaching and mentoring of the girls at SSB Mutiara Timur. She also accompanied and supported our player, Kesya Nian, during her trip to the All Stars U-12 Tournament in Kudus, Java, in January 2025.
Our Football Pitch:
We train on this football pitch that Heidi and Rainer Scheunemann built for the Papuan kids' tournament Ben's Cup, which they began organizing in 2002. Since then, hundreds of teams have practiced and played here in Waena, on the Emsyk pitch.
The chief of Waena village granted us permission to use the pitch, but as it is not our land, we need to stay flexible with our coaching schedule and adjust it according to village events. Even the annual men's football tournament, Waena Cup, is held here. That’s why we purchased smaller goals and often practice next to the main pitch. There, we can play 7-a-side, which is our favorite small game.
In addition, we practice futsal twice a week at a nearby school that kindly allowed us to use their futsal pitch. Thank you, Sekolah Papua Kasih!
