Heard from sources that the fault was entirely the PNG FA's. They seem absolutely awful and there's big counter-movements in PNG. There's real danger of a FIFA ban, and the FIFA ethics committee has been aware of their incompetence for a while.
From my friend Rafa (add to this list the catastrophic organisation of the last few national league seasons, and blacklisting journalists who criticise the leadership, banning them from football activities):
https://oceaniafootballcenter.org/2023/08/26/fiasco-repeated-pngfas-stumbles-again-in-ofc-tournament-participation/