Now's your chance, Lai tells locals

'I'm very happy. We believe in ourselves now,' says South China's Szeto as only four foreigners are picked to start

The Hong Kong League XI will rely on only four overseas players in their starting line-up for Thursday's match against Honduras, much to the delight of the Cantonese players who make up the majority of the squad.

'It's a good chance for the Cantonese players to learn more about international football,' said 35-year-old veteran Lee Kin-wo, who will be one of the seven local products taking to the Hong Kong Stadium pitch for the Carlsberg Cup. 'It's a good opportunity.'

'I'm very, very grateful and happy,' added South China midfielder Szeto Man-chun. 'We're having to play fewer and fewer foreign players each year. The FA is giving the local players a chance and as a result the local players are growing up.'

Coach Kenny Lai Sun-cheun's decision is in stark contrast to just two years ago when the Hong Kong XI that reached the final, after beating China on penalties, at one point featured nine legionnaires and only one local outfielder.

Lai made his pronouncement after watching his team go through their paces against the rest of the squad in a practice match at a rain-sodden So Kon Po yesterday. 'When I coach a Hong Kong team it is always in my mind to support our local players. They've played well in the last three competitions - the Asian Cup qualifiers, the East Asian Football Championship and the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cup - and we need to carry on,' he said.

Victory over Thailand in Tashkent and battling performances against East Asia's giants, particularly in the 1-0 defeat to Japan, in December has revived interest in Hong Kong football and Szeto argues that playing in the Carlsberg Cup is essential if the national team are to improve. 'We need more chances to experience playing other national teams. We can learn from them. We need these chances,' the 28-year-old said.