Hong Kong national coach Lai Sun-cheung says he hopes the team can forget about the humiliating World Cup qualifying defeat by China and put on a good show to defend their Hong Kong-Guangdong Interport Cup.
The 20-strong SAR squad face home side Guangdong - who are preparing for October's All-China National Games - in the first leg on Sunday. The return leg will be played on January 9 at Hong Kong Stadium.
At the team's first training session at the Hong Kong Sports Institute on Tuesday, Lai said the Interport Cup would be a different business from the World Cup qualifiers, in which they were thrashed 7-0 by China in the group decider last month.
'The players should forget about that match and move on. After all, Guangdong and China are on different levels,' he said.
'We have the best local players this time and I am confident that we can at least draw with the home team.'
Happy Valley midfielders Lee Sze-ming and Li Chun-yip are both new to the Interport Cup.
Kitchee forward Chan Siu-kay, the youngest player in the squad, said he hoped he would be given a chance to play.
