Hong Kong Premier League: Eastern and Kitchee vying for title again

It may feel like it only just ended – because it did – but the new Hong Kong Premier League season kicks off this weekend.

Eastern take on new boys Resources Capital at Mong Kok Stadium to get the ball rolling on another jam-packed campaign of football before a full four-match fixture list.

Last season, which ended on October 11, went down to the wire with Eastern on for a domestic treble if they could beat R&F on the final day. The Guangzhou-based side had their own hopes of a first title during that game at Hong Kong Stadium.

As it was it finished 0-0 and thanks to Kitchee romping past Happy Valley the league ended up back with the four-time title winners.

Despite the shortened off season, much has happened.

The headline is R&F pulling out of the league but there has been more beside, with 2018-19 champions Tai Po and Yuen Long staying good to their word and dropping down to the second tier.

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Rangers and TSW Pegasus – the other two teams along with Tai Po and Yuen Long to take the opportunity to pull out of last season when the virus struck – are back in for this season, with Rangers calling on a number of HKPL veterans this season.

There is a new format for this season because of the eight-team league. To meet AFC regulations for the minimum number of matches, the league will see a four-team championship play-off at the end of the season.

That should guarantee the same drama as last season with the top four in the table moving on to the knockout stage.

Only Resources Capital have made the move up from the First Division for the new season and they will have to adapt quickly based on their Sapling Cup results.

Elsewhere, there have been several new arrivals and plenty of familiar faces moving around the league.

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Jared Lum, who moved to R&F from Kitchee during the Covid-19 confusion, left the Guangzhou club without playing a game.

Lum is now at title favourites Eastern, who will be looking to go one step further after their final day disappointment, but not all of the R&F players have found new homes yet ahead of the season.

Eastern remain stacked up front with Lucas, Sandro and last season’s MVP Everton Camargo set to be joined by Fernando when he returns from injury. That attacking firepower puts them among the favourites for the title.

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They, along with their title rivals, will be cheered on by their fans inside the stadium once more. Supporters are allowed back in, albeit in limited numbers and observing social distancing rules.

After a season finished behind closed doors bar handful of media and unused squad members in the stands, it will make for a refreshing change and something approaching normal.

There will also be fans watching from overseas, not least Happy Valley’s new Nigerian support base. The interest in the club has come from new signing Robert “Jaguar” Odu and the striker has looked the part in the Sapling Cup this season, netting a hat-trick against Resources Capital along with strike partner Mikael.

What Nigeria’s new Valley fans and those in Hong Kong will get to see and for how long depends on Hong Kong’s battle with the Covid-19 pandemic but on the pitch it appears to be as up for grabs as last season ended.

Eastern will be challenged by champions Kitchee and an improving Lee Man side, while Southern under player-manager Zesh Rehman and Happy Valley remain in the background.

Kitchee have been free-scoring in the Sapling Cup, with Matthew Orr helping himself to two hat-tricks in two games against Rangers, while both Eastern and Happy Valley are already qualified from the group stage.

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Valley beat Eastern to set their stall out for the season with injury time goals from Yip Cheul-man goal and Luciano Silva sealing a 2-1 comeback win.

The season will have a new look and with it perhaps a new champion.