Hong Kong Football Association fined again by Fifa for booing China national anthem

Authorities plead with fans to be quiet for future games

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Hong Kong fans show their support at Bao’an Stadium in Shenzhen. Photo: SCMP

Published: 11:45am, 14 Jan 2016Updated: 8:43am, 15 Jan 2016

The Hong Kong Football Association has been fined again by Fifa for booing the China national anthem - though football’s embattled world governing body couldn’t even announce the punishment without creating confusion as to what game they were referring.

The fine of 10,000 Swiss francs (HK$77,150) was handed out for booing the anthem before the home game against China in November, the HKFA said.

But Fifa earlier published a table of global disciplinary measures that mentioned a 10,000CHF fine for booing the anthem during “CHI vs HKG” - which by convention of listing the home team first would refer to China v Hong Kong in Shenzhen in September.

No booing was heard from the small contingent of travelling fans at that game, but there was at the most recent qualifier, the 0-0 home draw against China at Mong Kok Stadium and it was known an investigation was underway. Other fans held up signs that read ‘Boo’.

A spokesperson for the HKFA tried to clarify the confusion caused by Fifa’s apparent typo. Fifa’s document also wrongly abbreviates Hong Kong as HGK rather than HKG when mentioning two previous punishments for booing the anthem.

“According to the written document Fifa sent us, the fine and warning is about the Hong Kong vs China game played on 17 November 2015, i.e. our home game,” said the spokesperson.

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