Hong Kong national football team
The Hong Kong national football team (Chinese: 香港足球代表隊; pinyin: Xiānggǎng zúqiú dàibiǎo duì; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jūkkàuh doihbíu deuih) represents Hong Kong in international football and is controlled by the Hong Kong Football Association, the governing body for football in Hong Kong. Hong Kong was the first in Asia to hold the AFC Asian Cup in 1956 and won third place, and was also semi-finalist in 1964. Hong Kong has not qualified for another AFC tournament since 1968. Hong Kong had never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and its 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 five times in 1995, 1998, 2003, 2010 and 2019.
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| Nickname(s) | The Strength (勁揪) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) 香港足球總會 | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Jørn Andersen | ||
| Captain | Huang Yang | ||
| Most caps | Yapp Hung Fai (79) | ||
| Top scorer | Chan Siu Ki (40) | ||
| Home stadium | Hong Kong Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | HKG | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 147  1 (19 November 2021)[1] | ||
| Highest | 90 (February 1996) | ||
| Lowest | 172 (November 2012) | ||
| First international | |||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Hong Kong 3–2 South Vietnam  (Mong Kok, Hong Kong; 20 April 1947)[2] | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Hong Kong 15–0 Guam  (Taipei, Taiwan; 7 March 2005) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 China PR 7–0 Hong Kong .svg.png.webp){kind=small} (Guangzhou, China; 14 June 1980) China PR 7–0 Hong Kong (Guangzhou, China; 17 November 2004) Hong Kong 0–7 Paraguay .svg.png.webp){kind=small} (So Kon Po, Hong Kong; 17 November 2010) Hong Kong 0–7 Argentina  (So Kon Po, Hong Kong; 14 October 2014) | |||
| Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1956) | ||
| Best result | Third place, 1956 | ||
History
Establishment and pre-WWII era
Before Hong Kong became a member of FIFA in 1954, Hong Kong began playing in the Hong Kong–Macau Interport tournament in 1937,[3] 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.[4] 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.[5][6] There was another Interport tournament against Saigon.[7] 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 football team that participated in 1936 and 1948 Summer Olympics, were mainly composed of ethnic Chinese players from Hong Kong, most famously Lee Wai Tong.[8][9]
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, against South Korea. Its first victory came in 1953, a 4–0 win against South Korea.
FIFA member (1954–present)
Hong Kong FA became a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation since 1954. Since then Hong Kong played their first FIFA-recognized 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.[10][11]
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.[12]
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 attacker 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. [13]
Success at the 2009 East Asia Games and beyond
The year 2009 was a turning point in the diminishing football standards of Hong Kong. On 12 December, Hong Kong defeated Japan and took their first East Asian Games football gold medal, the first major competition Hong Kong have won. This result raised the belief that the Hong Kong football team could perform in major competition. The Hong Kong football team also won the 2010 Long Teng Cup and 2011 Long Teng Cup.
A short football fever appeared during 2018 World Cup qualifying in Hong Kong, 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, under the guidance of English-born coach Gary White, Hong Kong qualified for their third appearance at the E-1 EAFF East Asia Cup finals. Shortly afterwards, White departed from the role.
In April 2019, the Hong Kong Football Association appointed Finnish-born Mixu Paatelainen as the new head coach of the national football team in time for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and the E-1 EAFF East Asia Cup finals.
Stadium
For some of the friendly matches and the 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.[14] 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
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.[15] 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.[16][17][18]
Recent results and fixtures
Hong Kong national football team results |
|---|
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Win Draw Lose
2021
| 3 June 2022 WCQ R2 | Iran  | 3–1 | Hong Kong | Arad, Bahrain |
| 17:30? UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan) |
| 11 June 2022 WCQ R2 | Hong Kong | 0–1 |  Iraq | Arad, Bahrain |
| 19:30 UTC+3 | Report |
|
Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan) |
| 15 June 2022 WCQ R2 | Bahrain  | 4–0 | Hong Kong | Riffa, Bahrain |
| 19:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Stadium: Bahrain National Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Yaqoob Abdul Baki (Oman) |
2022
| 8 June 2022 ACQ R3 | TBD | v | Hong Kong |
| 11 June 2022 ACQ R3 | Hong Kong | v | TBD |
| 14 June 2022 ACQ R3 | Hong Kong | v | TBD |
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Jorn Andersen |
| Technical Director |  Carlos Antón |
| Executive Manager | Liu Chun Fai |
| Assistant Coach |  Anílton da Conceição |
| Assistant Coach | Chu Chi Kwong |
| Assistant Coach | Cheung Kin Fung |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Fan Chun Yip |
| Physical coach |  Mathew Pears |
| Specialist Conditioning Coach | Stephen Lee |
| Academy Head Coach | |
| Physiotherapist | Lo Ho Cheong |
| Physiotherapist | Yau Kai Ching |
Coaching history
| Name | Coaching career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Points per game[19] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tom Sneddon |
1954–1956 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 16.7 | 1.17 |
 Lai Shiu Wing |
1958–1967 | 43 | 16 | 6 | 21 | 37.2 | 1.26 |
| Fei Chun Wah[20] |
1964 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.20 |
| Chu Wing Keung |
1967 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.00 |
| Tang Sum |
1968 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.20 |
| Lau Tim |
1968 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.60 |
| Hsu King Shing |
1969–1970 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.33 |
| Chan Fai Hung |
1970–1972 | 23 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 30.4 | 1.04 |
| Ho Ying Fun |
1973–1975 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 39.1 | 1.43 |
 Frans van Balkom |
1976–1977 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 33.3 | 1.10 |
 Chan Yong Chong |
1978–1979 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 57.1 | 1.86 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Peter McParland |
1980 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25.0 | 0.75 |
| George Knobel |
1980–1981 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 28.6 | 1.14 |
| Kwok Ka Ming |
1982–1990 1997 |
47 | 16 | 11 | 20 | 34.0 | 1.26 |
| Wong Man Wai |
1991–1992 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.00 |
| Chan Hung Ping |
1993 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 20.0 | 0.80 |
| Koo Luam Khen |
1994–1995 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 25.0 | 0.88 |
| Tsang Wai Chung |
1996 2010–2011 |
38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 28.9 | 1.08 |
| Sebastian Araujo |
1998–2000 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.17 |
| Arie van der Zouwen |
2000–2002 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 23.1 | 0.85 |
| Lai Sun Cheung |
2003–2006 2007 |
45 | 15 | 9 | 21 | 33.3 | 1.20 |
| Lee Kin Wo Chan Hiu Ming |
2007 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40.0 | 1.20 |
 Dejan Antonić Goran Paulić[21] |
2008–2009 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50.0 | 1.50 |
| Liu Chun Fai |
2011–2012 2018 |
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50.0 | 1.75 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ernie Merrick |
2012 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 40.0 | 1.20 |
 Kim Pan-gon |
2009–2010 2012–2017 |
58 | 21 | 13 | 24 | 36.2 | 1.31 |
| Gary White |
2018 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 40.0 | 1.60 |
 Mixu Paatelainen |
2019–2021 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 12.5 | 0.63 |
| Jørn Andersen |
2021– | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 417 | 130 | 87 | 200 | 31.2 | 1.14 | |
Last updated: Hong Kong 0-4 Bahrain, 15 June 2021. Statistics include international "A" matches only.
Players
Current squad
The following 23 players have been selected for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers held in Bahrain from June 3rd to June 15th.
- Caps and goals as of 15 June 2021, after the match against Bahrain.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Yapp Hung Fai | 21 March 1990 | 79 | 0 | Eastern |
| 18 | GK | Yuen Ho Chun | 19 July 1995 | 0 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 19 | GK | Leung Hing Kit | 22 October 1989 | 1 | 0 | Rangers |
| 2 | DF | Tsui Wang Kit | 5 January 1997 | 13 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 3 | DF | Law Tsz Chun | 2 March 1997 | 8 | 0 | Kitchee |
| 4 | DF | Fung Hing Wa | 12 December 1992 | 4 | 0 | Eastern |
| 5 | DF | Hélio | 31 January 1986 | 26 | 0 | Kitchee |
| 20 | DF | Yu Wai Lim | 20 September 1998 | 2 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 21 | DF | Tong Kin Man | 10 January 1985 | 11 | 0 | Kitchee |
| 22 | DF | Tsang Kam To | 21 June 1989 | 6 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 23 | DF | Clayton | 18 July 1988 | 1 | 0 | Eastern |
| 6 | MF | Huang Yang (captain) | 19 October 1983 | 60 | 1 | Kitchee |
| 8 | MF | Ngan Lok Fung | 26 January 1993 | 3 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 10 | MF | Wong Wai | 17 September 1992 | 28 | 1 | HK U23 |
| 11 | MF | Chung Wai Keung | 21 October 1995 | 9 | 1 | Eastern |
| 12 | MF | Diego Eli | 4 September 1988 | 3 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 13 | MF | Cheng Siu Kwan | 3 November 1997 | 8 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 15 | MF | Roberto | 28 May 1983 | 24 | 1 | Kitchee |
| 16 | MF | Leung Kwun Chung | 1 April 1992 | 2 | 0 | Eastern |
| 17 | MF | Shinichi Chan | 5 September 2002 | 4 | 0 | Kitchee |
| 7 | FW | Sun Ming Him | 19 June 2000 | 6 | 0 | Eastern |
| 9 | FW | Matt Orr | 1 January 1997 | 3 | 1 | Kitchee |
| 14 | FW | James Ha | 26 December 1992 | 11 | 1 | Southern |
Recent call-ups
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW | Fernando | 14 November 1986 | 0 | 0 | Eastern |
v. May Training Camp, 25 May 2021 INJ |
| FW | Sandro | 10 March 1987 | 29 | 7 | Free Agent | v. May Training Camp, 25 May 2021 WD |
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury | ||||||
Records
- As of 2 June 2021[22]
- Players in bold are still active with Hong Kong.
Most appearances
|
Top goalscorers
|
 Chan Siu Ki is the top goalscorer in the history of Hong Kong, with 40 goals.
|
Captains records
Only record the players who were named as captains for the international official competitions.
| Year | Tournament | Captain(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | The 2nd Asian Games | Ko Po Keung |
| 1956 | The 1st Asian Cup (Final) | Ko Po Keung |
| 1958 | The 3rd Asian Games | Ho Cheung Yau |
| 1959 | The 2nd Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Ho Cheung Yau |
| 1963 | The 3rd Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Ho Cheung Yau |
| 1964 | The 3rd Asian Cup (Final) | Cheung Wing Ching |
| 1967 | The 4th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Kung Wah Kit |
| 1968 | The 4th Asian Cup (Final) | Kung Wah Kit |
| 1971 | The 5th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Fok Pak Ling |
| 1973 | The 10th World Cup (Qualifying) | Kwok Ka Ming |
| 1975 | The 6th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Cheng Yun Yue |
| 1977 | The 11th World Cup (Qualifying) | Wu Kwok Hung, Kwok Ka Ming |
| 1979 | The 7th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Wu Kwok Hung |
| 1980 | The 12th World Cup (Qualifying) | Wu Kwok Hung |
| 1984 | The 8th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Leung Sui Wing |
| 1985 | The 13th World Cup (Qualifying) | Leung Sui Wing |
| 1987 | The 24th Olympic Games (Qualifying) | Leung Sui Wing |
| 1988 | The 9th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Leung Sui Wing |
| 1989 | The 14th World Cup (Qualifying) | Leung Sui Wing |
| 1990 | The 11th Asian Games | Cheung Chi Tak |
| 1992 | The 10th Asian Cup | Chan Ping On, Ku Kam Fai |
| 1993 | The 15th World Cup (Qualifying) | Lee Kin Wo |
| 1994 | The 12th Asian Games | Lee Kin Wo |
| 1996 | The 11th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Lee Kin Wo |
| 1997 | The 16th World Cup (Qualifying) | Ku Kam Fai, Cheung Chi Tak |
| 1998 | The 13th Asian Games | Cheung Sai Ho |
| 1999 | The 12th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Lee Kin Wo |
| 2001 | The 17th World Cup (Qualifying) | Cheung Sai Ho |
| 2003 | The 1st East Asian Football Championship (Qualifying) | Yau Kin Wai |
| 2003 | The 1st East Asian Football Championship (Final) | Lee Wai Man |
| 2003 | The 13th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Yau Kin Wai, Cheung Sai Ho, Lee Wai Man |
| 2004 | The 18th World Cup (Qualifying) | Lee Wai Man, Cheung Sai Ho |
| 2005 | The 2nd East Asian Football Championship (Qualifying) | Lee Wai Man, Cheung Sai Ho |
| 2006 | The 14th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Lee Wai Man, Cheung Sai Ho, Fan Chun Yip |
| 2007 | The 19th World Cup (Qualifying) | Cheung Sai Ho, Fan Chun Yip |
| 2007 | The 3rd East Asian Football Championship (Qualifying) | Cristiano Cordeiro |
| 2009 | The 4th East Asian Football Championship (Qualifying) | Man Pei Tak,[24] Li Haiqiang[25][26] |
| 2009–2010 | The 15th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Cristiano Cordeiro, Poon Yiu Cheuk, Man Pei Tak, Chan Wai Ho |
| 2010 | The 4th East Asian Football Championship (Final) | Poon Yiu Cheuk, Chan Wai Ho, Au Yeung Yiu Chung |
| 2011 | The 20th World Cup (Qualifying) | Chan Wai Ho |
| 2012 | The 5th EAFF East Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Chan Wai Ho |
| 2013–2014 | The 16th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Chan Wai Ho, Chan Siu Ki, Yapp Hung Fai |
| 2014 | The 6th EAFF East Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Yapp Hung Fai |
| 2015–2016 | The 21st World Cup (Qualifying) | Chan Wai Ho, Yapp Hung Fai |
| 2016 | The 7th EAFF E-1 Football Championship (Qualifying) | Yapp Hung Fai |
| 2017–2018 | The 17th Asian Cup (Qualifying) | Yapp Hung Fai |
| 2018 | The 8th EAFF E-1 Football Championship (Qualifying) | Huang Yang[23] |
| 2019 | The 8th EAFF E-1 Football Championship (Final) | Huang Yang |
| 2019–2021 | The 22nd World Cup (Qualifying) | Huang Yang |
Competition history
- 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
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup finals | FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1930 to  1970 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
 1974 |
Did not qualify | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | ||||||||
| 1978 |
13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 31 | |||||||||
| 1982 |
4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||
| 1986 |
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 7 | |||||||||
 1990 |
6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | |||||||||
 1994 |
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 19 | |||||||||
 1998 |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}  2002 |
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2006 |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 15 | |||||||||
 2010 |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2014 |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |||||||||
 2018 |
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 5 | |||||||||
 2022 |
8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 13 | |||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 2026 |
To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
| Total | – | 0/22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 81 | 24 | 16 | 41 | 95 | 141 | |
AFC Asian Cup
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Asian Games
† Excluding 1998 onwards |
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Dynasty Cup and East Asian Football Championship
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Minor tournaments
References
External links
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