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Alvin Sallay

Two-time Hong Kong Footballer of the Year Cristiano Cordeiro is on the verge of becoming a fully fledged citizen - armed with a Hong Kong passport - which will make him eligible to play in next month's crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Qatar.

Cordeiro (pictured), one of the best central defenders in town, submitted his final list of documents yesterday, including a letter from the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA), supporting his bid to win a local passport.

He has given up his Brazilian citizenship.

'I'm stateless at the moment,' joked Cordeiro before leaving for the Immigration Department.

'My goal is to play for Hong Kong. I have a few more years of football left in me and I want to finish by representing my new home.'

The HKFA will hope that Cordeiro gets his new passport soon. It desperately wants to add his name to the team list for the vital away game to Qatar on October 11. Hong Kong have a good chance of qualifying for next year's Asian Cup.

'We hope Cordeiro can get his SAR passport in time. We need to submit the documents 48 hours before the game for approval from the Asian Football Confederation,' said Martin Lam Chun-ying, HKFA secretary-general.

Cordeiro, who turned 33 last month, is a key figure in Xiangxue Sun Hei's defence in the local First Division. He is playing his ninth season in Hong Kong and is widely regarded as a tower of strength at the back. The Hong Kong national team want those qualities as they find themselves in a sound position to qualify second in the group, behind Qatar, for the Asian Cup.

Stirring performances against Uzbekistan (drawing 2-2 away and 1-1 at home) have raised Hong Kong's chances. They had also beaten Bangladesh 1-0 in Dhaka. The only loss so far in the campaign was a 3-0 drubbing by Qatar in the first leg.

'We have a good chance of qualifying for the Asian Cup. A couple of good performances against Qatar and Bangladesh could see us in with a chance,' said Lam.

Cordeiro's presence at the back will strengthen those hopes.

'I hope I can get my new passport in time to be able to play against Qatar. There is still about three weeks to go and I'm quite optimistic of my chances,' he said.



Cordeiro awaits SAR passport