Will Hong Kong ever reach a World Cup, or are we losing sight of the goal?
The local game has taken a tumble since the heady days of the 1970s/80s. As the planet's soccer fans turn their gaze towards Brazil, David Bartram asks what it will take for Hong Kong to ever make it to a World Cup
In the far corner of Beijing's Workers' Stadium, full to its 80,000 capacity, a handful of supporters are celebrating a goal like they've celebrated no other. The year is 1985, and Cheung Chi-tak, better known by fans and teammates as Little Ghost, has just scored the opening goal for Hong Kong in a must-win World Cup qualifying match against China.
"We had practised the free-kick routine in training," recalls Cheung. "Wu Kwok-hung passed the ball to the right, and I smashed it in.
"The crowd went very quiet. There were not many travelling Hong Kong fans and they were far away on the other side of the stadium, but I could see them celebrating like crazy."
The 2-1 win against a much-fancied China team in Beijing on May 19, 1985, put Hong Kong within touching distance of a place at the following year's World Cup. The thought of Hong Kong qualifying for a World Cup is unimaginable today. In last month's Fifa world rankings, the men's team placed 158th, below Tahiti, the Maldives and Aruba. Corruption and match-fixing continue to plague the domestic game; earlier this year arrests were made and two teams disqualified from the First Division as part of an ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, the city's youth are more likely to be found on a basketball court, or at home studying, than playing soccer.
Watch: Highlights from the Hong Kong vs China 1985 match