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Hong Kong national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Hong Kong women's national football team.

Hong Kong
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Dragons (蛟龍)
The Strength (勁揪)
AssociationFootball Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA)
中國香港足球總會
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationEAFF (East Asia)
Head coachAshley Westwood
CaptainYapp Hung Fai
Most capsYapp Hung Fai (99)
Top scorerChan Siu Ki (40)
Home stadiumHong Kong Stadium
Mong Kok Stadium
FIFA codeHKG
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 156 Increase 2 (28 November 2024)[1]
Highest90 (February 1996)
Lowest169 (November 2012)
First international
 Hong Kong 3–2 Vietnam 
(Mong Kok, Hong Kong; 20 April 1947)[2]
Biggest win
 Hong Kong 15–0 Guam 
(Taipei, Taiwan; 7 March 2005)
Biggest defeat
 China 7–0 Hong Kong 
(Guangzhou, China; 17 November 2004)
 Hong Kong 0–7 Paraguay 
(So Kon Po, Hong Kong; 17 November 2010)
 Hong Kong 0–7 Argentina 
(So Kon Po, Hong Kong; 14 October 2014)
Asian Cup
Appearances4 (first in 1956)
Best resultThird place (1956)
EAFF Championship
Appearances4 (first in 2003)
Best resultFourth place (2003, 2010, 2019, 2022)
Medal record
Men's football
AFC Asian Cup
Bronze medal – third place 1956 Hong Kong Team

The Hong Kong national football team (Chinese: 香港足球代表隊; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jūkkàuh doihbíu deuih; recognised as Hong Kong, China by FIFA) represents Hong Kong in international football and is controlled by the Football Association of Hong Kong, China, the governing body for football in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong hosted the first AFC Asian Cup in 1956 and won third place, also reaching the semifinals in 1964. Hong Kong did not qualify for another AFC tournament until 2023. They had never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and their biggest celebrated victory was the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) where Hong Kong produced a 2–1 upset win against China which resulted in Hong Kong qualifying for the second rounds of qualification. Hong Kong has qualified for the EAFF E-1 Football Championship six times, in 1995, 1998, 2003, 2010, 2019 and 2022.

History

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Establishment and pre-WWII era

[edit]

Before Hong Kong became a member of FIFA in 1954, Hong Kong began playing in the Hong Kong–Macau Interport tournament in 1937,[4] which was one of the oldest competitions co-held by Hong Kong as well as continuously played. There were other interport tournaments in the past, such as the Shanghai-Hong Kong Interport which was first held in 1908.[5] At that time the team was composed of ethnic Chinese as well as western expatriates, as in the 1935 and 1937 edition of Shanghai-Hong Kong Interport.[6][7] There was another Interport tournament against Saigon.[8] The aforementioned Macau, Shanghai and Saigon were not a member of FIFA nor a sovereign nation at that time, with Hong Kong and Macau only having joined FIFA in 1954 and 1978 respectively. The China national team that participated in 1936 and 1948 Summer Olympics, were mainly composed of ethnic Chinese players from Hong Kong, most famously Lee Wai Tong.[9][10]

After WWII, a number of Shanghai-based players began representing Hong Kong, such as Chang King Hai and Hsu King Shing. Hong Kong played its first international match after World War II in 1949,[citation needed] against South Korea. Its first victory came in 1953, a 4–0 win against South Korea.[citation needed]

FIFA member (1954–present)

[edit]

The Hong Kong FA became a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation in 1954. Since then Hong Kong played their first FIFA-recognised international match against other countries. HKFA also sent a scratch team for 1957 Merdeka Tournament, which was composed of players from Eastern due to their proximity, plus few players from other clubs. The club was having a pre-season tour in South Asia, thus the HKFA invited the club to represent Hong Kong. However, some of the players were in fact ineligible to play for Hong Kong, as they were ROC (Taiwan) international players.[11][12]

Hong Kong qualified for three of the first four editions of the Asian Cup, including a third-place finish in the 1956 edition as host. At that time, most Hong Kong players represented Republic of China (Taiwan); they finished third in the Asian Cup in the 1960 edition, leaving more inferior players to the proper Hong Kong team.[13]

Hong Kong has never qualified for the World Cup. However, its most celebrated victory happened during 1986 World Cup qualifying. On 19 May 1985, in Beijing, Hong Kong faced China in the final match of the first qualifying round, where Hong Kong needed a win to advance while China needed only a draw. Hong Kong, led by coach Kwok Ka Ming, produced a 2–1 upset win, with goals from Cheung Chi Tak and Ku Kam Fai, thereby winning the group and advancing to the knockout stage where it subsequently lost to Japan.

The 1998 World Cup Asian qualifiers was considered one of Hong Kong's darkest moments as it was hit by a match-fixing scandal that involved former Sing Tao striker Chan Tsz-Kong who was found guilty and jailed for a year after he bribed players to throw and lose a match against Thailand. Others who were involved include goalkeeper Kevin Lok Kar-Win, defenders Chan Chi-Keung and Lau Chi Yuen and striker Wai Kwan-Lung.[14]

Football Fever in 2015

[edit]

A short football fever appeared during 2018 World Cup qualifying in Hong Kong under the guidance of Kim Pan Gon, as Hong Kong had drawn into the same group with their fierce rival, China. Due to the tensions built up from Hong Kong–Mainland China conflict, many local citizens became interested in this year's campaign; all four home matches were recorded as a sellout. Hong Kong ended the campaign with 4 victories against Bhutan and Maldives, 2 scoreless draws against China, and 2 losses against Qatar.

In late 2018, after the sudden departure of Kim Pan Gon, English-born coach Gary White was hired as the new head coach in which under his guidance, he helped Hong Kong secure qualification for their third appearance at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship finals after a narrow win against Chinese Taipei, a draw against North Korea and a heavy win against Mongolia. Shortly afterwards, White departed from the role.

In April 2019, Hong Kong FA appointed Finnish-born Mixu Paatelainen as the new head coach of the national football team in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship tournament. His first game in charge ended in a disappointing and surprising loss at home during friendly international against Chinese Taipei. [15] However, after a run of poor performances throughout the World Cup qualifiers and the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, Mixu Paatelainen's contract was not renewed.

Return to the AFC Asian Cup tournament

[edit]
Hong Kong's 2023 Asian Cup team.

On 13 December 2021, Norwegian Jørn Andersen who formerly guided North Korea was named as the new head coach succeeding Mixu Paatelainen in preparation for the third round of qualification of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[16] He guided Hong Kong to qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup by beating Afghanistan 2–1 and Cambodia 3–0, reaching the final tournament after a 55-year absence.[17] In preparation for the tournament itself, on 2 January 2024, Hong Kong pulled a shocking 2–1 victory over arch-enemy China beating them for the first time in 29 years during the friendly match held in Abu Dhabi.[18]

On 15 January 2024, Hong Kong then kicked off their 2023 Asian Cup campaign against UAE in which they lost 3–1 in the opening match where Chan Siu Kwan scored the 1,000th goal in the AFC Asian Cup history.[19] They eventually finished the campaign at the bottom of their group after losses against Iran (1–0) and Palestine (3–0).

On 29 May 2024, Jørn Andersen announced his resignation as head coach of the Hong Kong national football team after almost over 2 years in charge. [20]

On 28 August 2024, English manager Ashley Westwood was appointed as the new head coach of the Hong Kong national football team, succeeding Jørn Andersen. [21] In September 2024, Hong Kong travelled to Fiji and played two friendly matches against Oceania countries, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

The team also travelled to Europe on November for the first time other than Asian soil where they played against the Liechtenstein national football team.

Team image

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Kits and crest

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The national team's home kit has always been a red shirt, red shorts, and red or white socks. The away colours are white shirts, white shorts and red or white socks.

Kit suppliers

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Kit supplier Period
Puma 1970s–2000
Diadora 2000–2005
Adidas 2005–2011
Nike 2011–present

Kit deals

[edit]
Kit supplier Period Contract
announcement 		Contract
duration
Nike 2011–present 1 July 2011 July 2011 – July 2016 (5 years)
24 August 2016 August 2016 – 2025 (10 years)[22]

Crest

[edit]

The crest of the Hong Kong national football team has a Chinese dragon from the crest of the HKFA, which were logo has been always used as the team emblem.

Nevertheless, the HKFA emblem was not used on jerseys until 31 May 2011, HKFA debuted current emblem for the national team.

Home Stadium

[edit]

The team's primary stadium is Hong Kong Stadium. For some friendly matches and minor qualification matches, the Hong Kong team plays most often at the Mong Kok Stadium in Kowloon, which was re-opened in 2011 after a renovation. Moreover, the 2018 edition of the Lunar New Year Cup was held in Mong Kok.[23] The cup was a local tradition to celebrate Chinese New Year, which was held in Government Stadium in the past.

The Jockey Club HKFA Football Training Centre is currently the main training ground for the Hong Kong national and youth teams.

Rivalries

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China

[edit]
See also: China–Hong Kong football rivalry

Hong Kong maintains a specific rivalry with China. The rivalry began in 1978 and for the first decades before the return of Hong Kong to China, Hong Kong produced a shock 2–1 upset in Beijing, and this led to unrest by Chinese supporters.[24] Since then, China never lost to Hong Kong, and has achieved more successes, but the rivalry continues to have some influence on Hong Kong society.[25][26][27]

On 1 January 2024, Hong Kong defeated China in a closed door international friendly, marking their first victory in 29 years.[28]

Macau

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The Hong Kong–Macau rivalry has been contested by Hong Kong Football Association and Macau Football Association since 1937.

Results and fixtures

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Main article: Hong Kong national football team results (2020s)
See also: 2023–24 in Hong Kong football

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss

2024

[edit]
1 January Friendly China  1–2  Hong Kong Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
17:30 UTC+4
  • Tan Long 9'
Stadium: Baniyas Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Yahya Mohammed Ali Hassan Al-Mulla (United Arab Emirates)
14 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS United Arab Emirates  3–1  Hong Kong Al Rayyan, Qatar
17:30 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium
Attendance: 15,586
Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)
19 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS Hong Kong  0–1  Iran Al Rayyan, Qatar
20:30 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium
Attendance: 36,412
Referee: Hanna Hattab (Syria)
23 January 2023 AFC Asian Cup GS Hong Kong  0–3  Palestine Doha, Qatar
18:00 UTC+3
Stadium: Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium
Attendance: 6,568
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)
21 March 2026 World Cup qualification Hong Kong  0–2  Uzbekistan Mong Kok, Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8 Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Stadium: Mong Kok Stadium
Attendance: 6,263
Referee: Kim Woo-sung (South Korea)
26 March 2026 World Cup qualification Uzbekistan  3–0  Hong Kong Tashkent, Uzbekistan
19:30 UTC+5
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)		 Stadium: Milliy Stadium
Referee: Ahmed Faisal Al-Ali (Jordan)
6 June 2026 World Cup qualification Hong Kong  2–4  Iran So Kon Po, Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8
Report
Stadium: Hong Kong Stadium
Attendance: 9,992
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (Oman)
11 June 2026 World Cup qualification Turkmenistan  0–0  Hong Kong Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
20:00 UTC+5 Report Stadium: Ashgabat Stadium
Attendance: 10,324
Referee: Hussein Abo Yehia (Lebanon)
5 September Friendly Solomon Islands  0–3  Hong Kong Suva, Fiji
19:00 UTC+12
Stadium: HFC Bank Stadium
Referee: Torika Delai (Fiji)
8 September Friendly Fiji  1–1  Hong Kong Lautoka, Fiji
15:00 UTC+12
Stadium: Churchill Park
Referee: David Yareboinen (Papua New Guinea)
10 October Friendly Liechtenstein  1–0  Hong Kong Vaduz, Liechtenstein
19:30 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Rheinpark Stadion
Referee: Désirée Grundbacher (Switzerland)
15 October Friendly Hong Kong  3–0  Cambodia So Kon Po, Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Hong Kong Stadium
Attendance: 5,289
Referee: Hoang Ngoc Ha (Vietnam)
14 November Friendly Hong Kong  3–1  Philippines So Kon Po, Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8
Report
Stadium: Hong Kong Stadium
Attendance: 4,966
Referee: Warintorn Sassadee (Thailand)
19 November Friendly Hong Kong  1–0  Mauritius Mong Kok, Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Mong Kok Stadium
Attendance: 4,937
Referee: Torphong Somsing (Thailand)
8 December 2025 EAFF E-1 Preliminary Hong Kong  v  Mongolia Mong Kok, Hong Kong
18:00 UTC+8 Stadium: Mong Kok Stadium
14 December 2025 EAFF E-1 Preliminary Hong Kong  v  Chinese Taipei Mong Kok, Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8 Stadium: Mong Kok Stadium

2025

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25 March 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Hong Kong 
10 June 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Hong Kong  v Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8
9 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Hong Kong 
14 October 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Hong Kong  v Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8
18 November 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Hong Kong  v Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8

2026

[edit]
31 March 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Hong Kong 

Coaching staff

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Position Name
Head Coach England Ashley Westwood
Assistant Coach Wales Matthew Holland
Technical Director England John Morling
Executive Manager Hong Kong Graeme Chan
Goalkeeping Coach Hong Kong Fan Chun Yip
U23 Head Coach Hong Kong Szeto Man Chun
Head of Sports Science England Mathew Pears
Performance & Methodology Lead Analyst Republic of Ireland Christopher Jenkins
Team Doctor Hong Kong Dr. Wan Hay Man Keith
Fitness Coach Hong Kong Stephen Wong
Administration and Equipment Team Hong Kong Cheung Tim Ho Andrew
Hong Kong Samuel Chow
Hong Kong Lau Chun Yip Tom
Hong Kong Gavin Yeung
Team Physiotherapist Hong Kong Lo Ho Cheung Dennis
Hong Kong Kwong Hoi Hang Karen
Hong Kong Leung Hok Hin Frankie
Team Massure Hong Kong Wong Yi Sum

Coaching history

[edit]

Last updated: Hong Kong 1–0 Mauritius, 19 November 2024. Statistics include international "A" matches only.

Players

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Current squad

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The following 30 players have been called up for the preliminary squad for preliminary round of 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship to be held from 8 to 17 December 2024.

Caps and goals as of 19 November 2024 after the match against  Mauritius.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Yapp Hung Fai (1990-03-21) 21 March 1990 (age 34) 99 0 Hong Kong Eastern
1GK Tse Ka Wing (1999-09-04) 4 September 1999 (age 25) 7 0 Hong Kong Tai Po
1GK Ng Wai Him (2002-06-30) 30 June 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Hong Kong Southern
2DF Hélio (1986-01-31) 31 January 1986 (age 38) 38 1 Hong Kong Kitchee
2DF Tsui Wang Kit (1997-01-05) 5 January 1997 (age 27) 24 0 China Yunnan Yukun
2DF Shinichi Chan (2002-09-05) 5 September 2002 (age 22) 22 1 China Shanghai Shenhua
2DF Oliver Gerbig (1998-12-12) 12 December 1998 (age 25) 14 0 China Dalian Yingbo
2DF Fernando (1986-11-14) 14 November 1986 (age 38) 12 1 Hong Kong Kitchee
2DF Leon Jones (1998-02-28) 28 February 1998 (age 26) 5 0 Hong Kong Kitchee
2DF Alexander Jojo (1999-02-11) 11 February 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Hong Kong Eastern
2DF Anthony Pinto (2006-02-23) 23 February 2006 (age 18) 1 1 England Loughborough Students
2DF Nicholas Benavides (2001-11-05) 5 November 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Hong Kong Tai Po
2DF Timothy Chow (2006-03-11) 11 March 2006 (age 18) 1 0 Hong Kong Lee Man
2DF Dudu (1990-04-17) 17 April 1990 (age 34) 0 0 Hong Kong Lee Man
3MF Wong Wai (1992-09-17) 17 September 1992 (age 32) 50 5 Hong Kong Lee Man
3MF Sun Ming Him (2000-06-19) 19 June 2000 (age 24) 32 2 China Cangzhou Mighty Lions
3MF Chan Siu Kwan (1992-08-01) 1 August 1992 (age 32) 28 4 Hong Kong Tai Po
3MF Wu Chun Ming (1997-11-21) 21 November 1997 (age 27) 26 0 Hong Kong Lee Man
3MF Yu Joy Yin (2001-10-08) 8 October 2001 (age 23) 10 0 Hong Kong Eastern
3MF Ngan Cheuk Pan (1998-01-22) 22 January 1998 (age 26) 7 0 Hong Kong Kitchee
3MF Lam Hin Ting (1999-12-09) 9 December 1999 (age 24) 5 0 Hong Kong Eastern
4FW Matt Orr (1997-01-01) 1 January 1997 (age 27) 32 8 China Shenzhen Peng City
4FW Everton Camargo (1991-05-25) 25 May 1991 (age 33) 12 7 Hong Kong Lee Man
4FW Poon Pui Hin (2000-10-03) 3 October 2000 (age 24) 15 3 Hong Kong Kitchee
4FW Michael Udebuluzor (2004-04-01) 1 April 2004 (age 20) 14 2 Germany VfR Mannheim
4FW Juninho (1990-12-11) 11 December 1990 (age 33) 12 2 Hong Kong Kitchee
4FW Stefan Pereira (1988-04-16) 16 April 1988 (age 36) 11 0 Hong Kong Southern
4FW Mahama Awal (1991-06-10) 10 June 1991 (age 33) 7 0 Hong Kong Southern
4FW Ng Yu Hei (2006-02-13) 13 February 2006 (age 18) 3 0 Hong Kong Eastern
4FW Matthew Slattery (2005-04-05) 5 April 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Hong Kong Kitchee

Recent call–ups

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The following players have been called up for the team within the previous 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Chan Ka Ho (1996-01-27) 27 January 1996 (age 28) 2 0 Hong Kong Lee Man v.  Mauritius, 19 November 2024
GK Pong Cheuk Hei (2004-01-31) 31 January 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Hong Kong North District v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
GK Paulo César (1986-03-27) 27 March 1986 (age 38) 4 0 Hong Kong Central & Western Local training camp, May 2024
GK Leung Hing Kit (1989-10-22) 22 October 1989 (age 35) 1 0 Hong Kong Lee Man Local training camp, December 2023
DF Yue Tze Nam (1998-05-12) 12 May 1998 (age 26) 28 0 China Meizhou Hakka v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024INJ
DF Law Tsz Chun (1997-03-02) 2 March 1997 (age 27) 25 1 Hong Kong Kitchee v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Wong Tsz Ho (1994-03-07) 7 March 1994 (age 30) 13 0 Hong Kong Eastern v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Yu Wai Lim (1998-09-20) 20 September 1998 (age 26) 9 0 China Wuxi Wugo v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Tsang Kam To (1989-06-21) 21 June 1989 (age 35) 6 0 Hong Kong Kowloon City v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Jordan Lam (1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Hong Kong Kitchee v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Clement Benhaddouche (1996-05-11) 11 May 1996 (age 28) 0 0 China Suzhou Dongwu v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Chan Yun Tung (2002-07-02) 2 July 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Hong Kong Southern v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Alexandre Dujardin (1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 25) 0 0 China Nanjing City v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Tsang Yi Hang (2003-10-27) 27 October 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Free agent v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF Leung Nok Hang (1994-11-14) 14 November 1994 (age 30) 13 0 China Zhejiang Pro v.  Liechtenstein, 10 October 2024PRE
DF Vas Nuñez (1995-11-22) 22 November 1995 (age 29) 13 0 China Guangxi Pingguo Haliao v.  Liechtenstein, 10-14 October 2024PRE
DF Li Ngai Hoi (1994-10-15) 15 October 1994 (age 30) 12 0 Hong Kong Lee Man v.  Solomon Islands, 5 September 2024PRE
DF Sean Tse (1992-05-03) 3 May 1992 (age 32) 8 0 England Stalybridge Celtic 2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF Leung Kwun Chung (1992-04-01) 1 April 1992 (age 32) 11 0 Hong Kong Eastern Local training camp, December 2023
MF Tan Chun Lok (1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 28) 50 3 Hong Kong Kitchee v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF Cheng Chin Lung (1998-01-07) 7 January 1998 (age 26) 6 0 Hong Kong Kitchee v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF Ngan Lok Fung (1993-01-26) 26 January 1993 (age 31) 6 0 Hong Kong Lee Man v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF Sohgo Ichikawa (2004-07-30) 30 July 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Hong Kong Southern v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF Chiu Ching Yu (2006-03-07) 7 March 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Thailand BFB Pattaya City v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF Ho Lung Ho (2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Hong Kong Kowloon City v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF Ju Yingzhi (1987-07-24) 24 July 1987 (age 37) 44 3 Hong Kong Southern 2023 AFC Asian CupRET
MF Huang Yang (1983-10-19) 19 October 1983 (age 41) 71 1 Retired Local training camp, December 2023RET
FW Chang Hei Yin (2000-04-06) 6 April 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Hong Kong Lee Man v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
FW Ma Hei Wai (2004-02-03) 3 February 2004 (age 20) 3 1 Hong Kong Eastern v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
FW Wong Ho Chun (2002-04-02) 2 April 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Hong Kong Eastern v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
FW Lau Chi Lok (1993-10-15) 15 October 1993 (age 31) 0 0 Hong Kong Rangers v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
FW Raphael Merkies (2002-04-15) 15 April 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Hong Kong Southern v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE

INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury
PRE Preliminary squad
WD Player withdrawn from the squad.
RET Player retired from international football

History of naturalised players

[edit]

During the 1950s, Arthur Santos who is of British-Portuguese nationality (whose son Leslie was a former Hong Kong international footballer) became the first naturalised player to represent the Hong Kong national football team who was then followed by another fellow Portuguese-born player named JH Toleido.[30]

In the 1960s, there were a couple more foreign players who had represented the Hong Kong national football team whilst some were working within the national service at the time. These include British players from T. Watson, Evans, Ken Wallis who went on to represent Hong Kong during the lawn bowls event during the 1990 and 1994 Commonwealth Games as well as Australian-born Pete McClaren and Scottish-born Charlie Wright.[30]

In the late 1970s, Scottish-born players Derek Currie, Dave Anderson and Hugh McCrory all became eligible to represent the Hong Kong national football team in which Currie and Anderson took part during the 1979 Asian Cup qualifiers whilst McCrory took part during the 1982 World Cup qualifiers.

There were at least a couple more naturalised players who went on to represent Hong Kong throughout the 90's which include Bosnian-born Anto Grabo along with fellow English-born players Mark Grainger, John Moore and most notably Dale Tempest. Sung Lin Yung became the first mainland born player to represent Hong Kong during the 1998 World Cup Asian qualifiers having resided for more than two years under FIFA eligibility rules unlike foreign born players that would usually require at least seven years.

In the 2000s, a couple of African and Brazilian-born players were introduced went through the naturalisation process having met the residential criteria. Nigerian-born Lawrence Akandu obtained his Hong Kong citizenship in which he played for the national team during the 2003 East Asia Cup finals where he scored a goal in a loss against South Korea. He was soon followed by Cameroon-born Guy Gerard Ambassa who obtained his permanent residential status in 2005 along with another fellow Nigerian-born player named Colly Ezeh and Brazilian-born Cristiano Cordeiro in which both of whom earned international caps during the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Cordeiro was also the first non-Chinese captain in the history of the Hong Kong team during the 2008 East Asia Cup preliminary stages. Despite having played for the national team during the 2009 edition of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup, Cameroonian-born Julius Akosah attempted to apply for a HKSAR passport, however his application was unsuccessful.

During the mid 2010s, there had been an increase of naturalised players being used to represent the national team in which former head coach Kim Pan-gon stated that he needed to pick his best players regardless of their origin in preparation during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.[31]

These include the likes of European-born players Dani Cancela, Jaimes McKee, Fernando Recio, Andy Russell, Jack Sealy, Jordi Tarrés and Sean Tse, Brazilian-born players Everton Camargo, Paulo César, Clayton, Diego Eli, Fernando, Giovane, Helio, Itaparica, Juninho, Roberto Júnior, Tomas Maronesi, Paulinho, Stefan Pereira, and Sandro, Asian-born players Jahangir Khan and Yuto Nakamura, and African born players from Wisdom Fofo Agbo, Alex Akande, Christian Annan, Mahama Awal, Festus Baise, Godfred Karikari, Jean-Jacques Kilama, and Paul Ngue.

In addition to Sung Lin Yung, several other mainland born players went on to represent Hong Kong from past to present which include Bai He, Chao Pengfei, Deng Jinghuang, Feng Jizhi, Gao Wen, Li Haiqiang, Liu Quankun, Huang Yang, Ju Yingzhi, Wang Zhenpeng, Wei Zhao, Xiao Guoji, Xu Deshuai, Ye Jia, and Zhang Chunhui.[32]

Records

[edit]
As of 19 November 2024[33]
Players in bold are still active with Hong Kong.

Most appearances

[edit]
Yapp Hung Fai is Hong Kong's most capped player with 99 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Position Career
1 Yapp Hung Fai 99 0 GK 2010–present
2 Huang Yang 71 1 MF 2012–2023
3 Chan Siu Ki 70 40 FW 2004–2017
Lee Chi Ho 70 0 DF 2000–2017
5 Lee Wai Man 68 2 DF 1993–2006
6 Chan Wai Ho 65 6 DF 2000–2017
7 Poon Yiu Cheuk 62 4 DF 1998–2010
8 Tsang Ting Fai 57 0 DF 1972–1980
9 Cheung Sai Ho 56 8 MF 1995–2007
10 Leung Chun Pong 54 1 MF 2006–2018

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Chan Siu Ki is Hong Kong's top scorer with 40 goals.
Chan Siu Ki is Hong Kong's top scorer with 40 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Chan Siu Ki 40 70 0.57 2004–2017
2 Au Wai Lun 26 50 0.52 1989–2005
3 Lau Wing Yip 24 39 0.62 1971–1986
4 Lau Chi Lam 23 41 0.56 1956–1964
5 Wan Chi Keung 18 32 0.56 1976–1986
6 Chung Chor Wai 16 45 0.36 1971–1979
7 Ho Cheng Yau 14 34 0.41 1956–1968
Tim Bredbury 14 34 0.41 1986–1999
9 Li Kwok Keung 13 34 0.38 1964–1972
10 Yu Kwok Kit 12 13 0.92 1973–1977
Kwok Ka Ming 12 47 0.26 1968–1979
Jaimes McKee 12 53 0.23 2012–2019

Captains

[edit]

This list only records the players who were named as Hong Kong captain in official international competitions. First-choice captains always go first.

Huang Yang was the captain of Hong Kong from 2018 to 2023.[34]
Year Tournament Captain(s)
1954 Philippines 1954 Asian Games Ko Po Keung
1956 Hong Kong 1956 AFC Asian Cup
1958 Japan 1958 Asian Games Ho Cheung Yau
1959 Korea 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1963 Israel 1964 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1964 Israel 1964 AFC Asian Cup Cheung Wing Ching
1967 Iran 1968 AFC Asian Cup qualification Kung Wah Kit
1968 Iran 1968 AFC Asian Cup
1971 Thailand 1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification Fok Pak Ling
1973 West Germany 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification Kwok Ka Ming
1975 Iran 1976 AFC Asian Cup qualification Cheng Yun Yue
1977 Argentina 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification Wu Kwok Hung, Kwok Ka Ming
1979 Kuwait 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification Wu Kwok Hung
1980 Spain 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
1984 Singapore 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification Leung Sui Wing
1985 Mexico 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
1987 South Korea 1988 Summer Olympics qualification
1988 Qatar 1988 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1989 Italy 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
1990 China 1990 Asian Games Cheung Chi Tak
1992 Japan 1992 AFC Asian Cup qualification Ku Kam Fai, Chan Ping On
1993 United States 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification Lee Kin Wo
1994 Japan 1994 Asian Games
1996 United Arab Emirates 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1997 France 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification Ku Kam Fai, Cheung Chi Tak
1998 Thailand 1998 Asian Games Cheung Sai Ho
1999 Lebanon 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification Lee Kin Wo
2001 South Korea Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification Cheung Sai Ho
2003 Japan 2003 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary Yau Kin Wai
2003 Japan 2003 East Asian Football Championship Lee Wai Man
2003 China 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification Yau Kin Wai, Cheung Sai Ho, Lee Wai Man
2004 Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification Lee Wai Man, Cheung Sai Ho
2005 South Korea 2005 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary
2006 Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification Lee Wai Man, Cheung Sai Ho, Fan Chun Yip
2007 South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Cheung Sai Ho, Fan Chun Yip
2007 China 2008 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary Cristiano Cordeiro
2009 Japan 2010 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary Li Haiqiang,[35][36] Man Pei Tak[37]
2009–2010 Qatar 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification Cristiano Cordeiro, Poon Yiu Cheuk, Man Pei Tak, Chan Wai Ho
2010 Japan 2010 East Asian Football Championship Poon Yiu Cheuk, Chan Wai Ho, Au Yeung Yiu Chung, Li Haiqiang
2011 Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Chan Wai Ho, Li Haiqiang
2012 South Korea 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup Preliminary Chan Wai Ho
2013–2014 Australia 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification Chan Wai Ho, Chan Siu Ki, Yapp Hung Fai
2014 China 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup Preliminary Yapp Hung Fai
2015–2016 Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Chan Wai Ho, Yapp Hung Fai
2016 Japan 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Yapp Hung Fai
2017–2018 United Arab Emirates 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2018 South Korea 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Huang Yang[34]
2019 South Korea 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
2019–2021 Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2022 Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2022 Japan 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Sean Tse
2023–2024 Canada Mexico United States 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Yapp Hung Fai, Hélio, Vas Nuñez
2024 Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup Yapp Hung Fai, Vas Nuñez
2024 South Korea 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary

Competitive record

[edit]
See comprehensive article: Hong Kong national football team – record in qualifying and major tournaments
Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

All time results

[edit]
Main article: Hong Kong national football team results

FIFA World Cup

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FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to Switzerland 1954 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Sweden 1958 to Mexico 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 4 3 0 1 4 3
Argentina 1978 13 3 2 8 15 31
Spain 1982 4 0 3 1 3 4
Mexico 1986 8 5 1 2 20 7
Italy 1990 6 0 3 3 5 10
United States 1994 8 2 1 5 9 19
France 1998 4 1 0 3 3 10
South Korea Japan 2002 6 1 1 4 3 10
Germany 2006 6 2 0 4 5 15
South Africa 2010 4 2 1 1 11 6
Brazil 2014 2 0 0 2 0 8
Russia 2018 8 4 2 2 13 5
Qatar 2022 8 1 2 5 4 13
Canada Mexico United States 2026 8 1 2 5 8 17
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 0/18 – – – – – – 89 25 18 46 103 157

AFC Asian Cup

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Dynasty Cup and East Asian Football Championship

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Asian Games

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Minor tournaments

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Minor tournaments
Competition Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Malaysia 1965 Merdeka Tournament Seventh place 7 6 2 2 2 11 9
Malaysia 1966 Merdeka Tournament First round 9 5 0 1 4 2 8
Malaysia 1967 Merdeka Tournament Sixth place 6 6 2 0 4 6 18
Malaysia 1970 Merdeka Tournament Fourth place 4 7 3 1 3 10 14
Malaysia 1971 Merdeka Tournament Eighth place 8 6 2 0 4 6 14
Malaysia 1972 Merdeka Tournament Sixth place 6 6 2 2 2 8 8
Malaysia 1974 Merdeka Tournament Third place 3 4 1 3 1 5 5
Malaysia 1975 Merdeka Tournament Fifth place 5 7 3 0 4 17 13
China 1977 Beijing Invited Tournament Runners-up 2 3 2 0 1 8 2
China 1983 Great Wall Cup Eighth place 8 4 1 2 1 4 4
Hong Kong 2006 Carlsberg Cup Fourth place 4 2 0 0 2 0 7
Chinese Taipei 2010 Long Teng Cup Winners 1 3 2 1 0 9 3
Chinese Taipei 2011 Long Teng Cup Winners 1 3 2 1 0 14 4
Myanmar 2016 AYA Bank Cup Fourth place 4 2 0 1 1 2 5
Fiji 2024 Tri-Nations Series Winners 1 2 1 1 0 4 1
Total 3 Titles

Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup

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The competition is played every year. It is a two-leg competition where each team plays a home match once. The champion is decided by combining the results of both games. Hong Kong team won the competition 17 times.

Honours

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Continental

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Regional

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Friendly

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Summary

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Competition 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
AFC Asian Cup 0 0 1 1
Dynasty Cup 0 0 1 1
Total 0 0 2 2

See also

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References

[edit]

Notes

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  1. ^ Calculated by multiplying wins by 3, plus draws, divided by games.
  2. ^ Fei Chun Wah was appointed as the coach of Hong Kong team during the team's Asian Cup Final journey and the journey in Europe and Singapore afterwards as the official coach Lai Shiu Wing was not allowed to leave from his working place.

Citations

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  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Hong Kong matches, ratings and points exchanged". World Football Elo Ratings: Hong Kong. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  4. ^ "maan6 taam4 gong2 ou3 fau6 zai3 coi3" 漫談港澳埠際賽 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). HKFA. 15 June 2008. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  5. ^ "wu6 gong2 bui1 wui4 gu3 (jat1)" 滬港盃回顧 (一) (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). HKFA. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  6. ^ "gong2 wu6 fau6 zai3 zuk1 kau4 coi3" 港滬埠際足球賽. The Kung Sheung Evening News (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong. 28 January 1935 – via Hong Kong Public Libraries MMIS.
  7. ^ "Colony soccer team favoured, but Shanghai are dangerous. Fung King Cheong must succeed, will Wilson find form?". The China Mail. Hong Kong. 10 February 1937 – via Hong Kong Public Libraries MMIS.
  8. ^ "san1 ceon1 gaai1 zit3 zuk1 kau4 daai6 coi3 hoeng1 gong2 deoi3 kong3 sai1 gung3" 新春佳節足球大賽香港對抗西貢. The Kung Sheung Evening News (in Chinese). Hong Kong. 29 January 1949 – via Hong Kong Public Libraries.
  9. ^ "NewspaperSG – Terms and Conditions" 我國參加世運足球隊遴選前後內幕六月上旬經星將作戰兩場. Nanyang Siang Pau. Singapore. 12 April 1948. Retrieved 9 September 2017 – via Singapore National Library.
  10. ^ "NewspaperSG – Terms and Conditions" 世運足球隊一行十九人昨日下午殺抵本土容領隊發表出國戰况及出席世運日期並謂馮景祥張金海日內動程來星集隊. Nanyang Siang Pau. Singapore. 18 May 1948. Retrieved 9 September 2017 – via Singapore National Library.
  11. ^ Lee, John C.W. (2015). 足球王國：戰後初期的香港足球 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong: Joint Publishing. p. 72. ISBN 9789620437823. Retrieved 18 December 2017 – via Google Books preview.
  12. ^ 足總首次執委會議 渣甸東華均獲陞甲組 足聯抗議另開會研討 參加馬來亞獨立賽擬請東方代表. Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 14 August 1957. p. 8.
  13. ^ "The Influence of Hong Kong South China" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Football: Eight charged over betting scam". The Independent. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  15. ^ Bennett, Ben (12 June 2019). "Hong Kong fall to disappointing defeat to Chinese Taipei – offside.hk". Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  16. ^ Standard, The. "Former North Korea coach Andersen takes over Hong Kong national football team". The Standard. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Hong Kong can dare to dream after reaching Asian Cup for first time since 1968". South China Morning Post. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  18. ^ Hawkins, Amy (2 January 2024). "Hong Kong beat China at football for first time in 29 years". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Philip Chan scores 1000th goal of AFC Asian Cup". the-AFC. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  20. ^ "香港隊 辭任主教練 安帥：收到冇得拒絕嘅邀請". on.cc東網 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  21. ^ "港足｜韋斯活任新帥信能帶領進步 足總得知過去任期短：看的是能力". sportsroad.hk (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 28 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  22. ^ "香港足球隊9．1換上新球衣主場迎戰柬埔寨". 24 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  23. ^ 旺角場今午雙喜臨門 港隊港聯同球迷賀歲. Oriental Daily (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  24. ^ "The 'May 19 Incident': When Hong Kong football sparked a riot in Beijing". 26 August 2020. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  25. ^ "Hong Kong and China to meet in one group". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016 – via HighBeam.
  26. ^ "Against all odds, Hong Kong hold China to 0-0 draw in World Cup qualifier". South China Morning Post. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  27. ^ "EAFF: China beat Hong Kong as fans boo Chinese anthem amid protest flags in South Korea". South China Morning Post. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  28. ^ "Andersen hails Hong Kong's 'aggression' in historic win over China". South China Morning Post. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  29. ^ "Hong Kong Representative Team Training Squad". Hkfa.com. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  30. ^ a b "歸化交叉點——歸化香港，請居滿七年". FanPiece (in Chinese). Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  31. ^ Chan, Lester (29 September 2022). "Obsession with naturalized players overlooks impending crisis – offside.hk". Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  32. ^ "歸化交叉點——國援上馬又如何？". FanPiece (in Chinese). Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  33. ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Hongkong – Record International Players". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
  34. ^ a b "mou4 geoi6 ciu4 sin1 paai4 ming4 gou1 zyu2 gaau3 lin6 wai4 dak6: jau5 seon3 sam1 ceoi2 sing3" 毋懼朝鮮排名高 主教練韋特：有信心取勝 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). HKFA Facebook. 12 November 2018. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  35. ^ "East Asian Football Championship 2010 Semi-Final Competition" (PDF). eaff.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  36. ^ "East Asian Football Championship 2010 Semi-Final Competition" (PDF). eaff.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  37. ^ "East Asian Football Championship 2010 Semi-Final Competition" (PDF). eaff.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
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