https://www.scmp.com/rss/324271/feed The 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers is the process organised by the Asian Football Confederation to determine the participating teams for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the 17th edition of the international men's football championship of Asia. For the first time, the Asian Cup final tournament will be contested by 24 teams, having been expanded from the 16-team format that had been used since 2004. Hong Kong have been grouped with Lebanon, North Korea and Malaysia in the third round of qualification. The... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com There have been many voices of dissent around this expanded AFC Asian Cup bemoaning the added teams and predictable results. That is both short-sighted and wrong. Asia needs this expansion to allow 24 of the 47 AFC members a chance to play tournament football. The new teams have given a good account of themselves too. Monday saw the start of the final group games and the first chance for a third-placed team to enter the knockout stages. Among the first of those were India, a team unlikely to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2182169/asian-cup-expansion-has-worked-even-indias-dramatic-defeat-breaking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2182169/asian-cup-expansion-has-worked-even-indias-dramatic-defeat-breaking?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:04:48 +0000 Prolific goal scorer Hwang Ui-jo snatched a second-half winner as South Korea beat Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Philippines 1-0 at the Asian Cup on Monday. The Koreans, looking to end 59 years of hurt after failing to win the title since 1960, soaked up considerable pressure in their opening group C match before Hwang broke the deadlock after 67 minutes in the United Arab Emirates. The Japan-based striker swivelled and smashed home from close range in Dubai to settle his side’s nerves after Newcastle... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2181085/heartbreak-philippines-south-korea-edge-sven-goran-erikssons-azkals-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2181085/heartbreak-philippines-south-korea-edge-sven-goran-erikssons-azkals-1?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jan 2019 16:32:21 +0000 Former England and Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has been named as the new head coach of the Philippines national team ahead of their AFF Suzuki Cup opener against Singapore next month. The Swede replaces Terry Butcher who left the role in August, just two months into his contract and without taking charge of a single game. Eriksson has not managed since leaving Shenzhen FC in the Chinese second tier in June last year but he brings a wealth of experience that Philippines general... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2170536/azkals-hire-sven-goran-eriksson-take-philippines-next-level-starting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2170536/azkals-hire-sven-goran-eriksson-take-philippines-next-level-starting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Oct 2018 04:45:41 +0000 Former England captain Terry Butcher has stepped down from his role as head coach of the Philippines national team without taking charge of a single game. Butcher was named Thomas Dooley’s replacement at the start of June and was due to lead the Philippines at the Asian Cup finals in January after the country secured qualification for the continental championship for the first time. “I’m sorry to announce that I will not be proceeding in the role as head coach of the Philippines national... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2158073/asian-cup-2019-terry-butcher-quits-philippines-manager-without-managing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2158073/asian-cup-2019-terry-butcher-quits-philippines-manager-without-managing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Aug 2018 02:21:11 +0000 Marcello Lippi has brushed aside China’s recent on-field troubles to declare himself ready to take on the continent’s best after seeing his side drawn to face South Korea in the group phase of next year’s Asian Cup finals. Lippi’s team have not won any of their last seven games, with his side utterly outclassed in March’s China Cup friendly tournament as they slumped to a 6-0 loss at the hands of Wales before a 4-1 defeat against the Czech Republic. But as the emphasis shifts towards the finals... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/2144803/asian-cup-draw-china-face-south-korea-marcello-lippi-confident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/2144803/asian-cup-draw-china-face-south-korea-marcello-lippi-confident?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 May 2018 02:52:44 +0000 Hong Kong’s AFC Asian Cup dream is over, with Liu Chun-fai’s team falling at the final hurdle in a 2-0 loss to North Korea in Pyongyang on Tuesday night. Hong Kong had to win the match to progress to the Asian Cup finals in the United Arab Emirates next year but were quickly under the pump, with Jong Il-gwan’s 18th-minute strike handing the hosts the ascendancy. Hong Kong had a look soon after but Xu Deshuai’s shot found the goalkeeper and only minutes later a tough task became near impossible... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2139165/hong-kongs-afc-asian-cup-dream-crashes-back-earth-2-0-loss-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2139165/hong-kongs-afc-asian-cup-dream-crashes-back-earth-2-0-loss-north?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Mar 2018 12:11:11 +0000 While everyone in Hong Kong is confined to following the score via the internet, there is one fan who will be seeing the vital AFC Asian Cup qualifier live and in the flesh. The Post spoke to Heilong via WeChat from Pyeongyang after arriving there from Beijing. He is the only Hongkonger on the Koryo Tours package and one of the few from the city making the trip to watch Tuesday night’s game in the Kim Il-sung Stadium, where a crowd of 50,000 are expected to be backing the home team. A handful of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2138946/ive-not-told-my-parents-only-hong-kong-fan-making-trip-lifetime-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2138946/ive-not-told-my-parents-only-hong-kong-fan-making-trip-lifetime-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Mar 2018 08:46:25 +0000 “Everyone will need to put in 100 per cent and give a performance like we did against China those two times. I don’t see it being too far-fetched to win.” That’s Hong Kong representative team full back Jack Sealy’s view of the do-or-die clash with North Korea on Tuesday. Sealy has never played in the hermit kingdom but he feels like his experience living in Jilin, on China’s border with North Korea, has prepared him well. “I’ve played close enough. Changchun’s pretty close. I feel like I’m going... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2138910/i-feel-im-going-home-north-korea-mission-forces-hong-kongs-jack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2138910/i-feel-im-going-home-north-korea-mission-forces-hong-kongs-jack?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Mar 2018 06:37:46 +0000 Hong Kong take on North Korea in Pyongyang on Tuesday March 27 with a chance to “secure their place in history” in the words of caretaker boss Liu Chun-fai, the goalkeeper during the Hong Kong team’s landmark win against China in Beijing. The brief for Tuesday is simple: beat the North Koreans in their capital and they qualify for the AFC Asian Cup in United Arab Emirates next year. Anything less than victory for Hong Kong and it will be the hosts that join the Lebanon side in making their way... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2138333/how-can-i-keep-hong-kongs-vital-asian-cup-qualifier-north-korea-well?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2138333/how-can-i-keep-hong-kongs-vital-asian-cup-qualifier-north-korea-well?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Mar 2018 03:15:38 +0000 One of the heroes of Hong Kong’s historic 1985 triumph over China has called on the new generation to create another legacy by beating North Korea in their Asian Cup qualifier in Pyongyang next week. Now caretaker coach of the Hong Kong team, Liu Chun-fai was part of the 1985 squad who beat China 2-1 in Beijing on May 19 to knock the mainlanders out of the World Cup qualifiers for the 1986 tournament. That squad is now part of local sporting folklore and he wants the Hong Kong team to also make... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2137991/they-can-be-heroes-hong-kong-coach-raises-stakes-asia-cup-showdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2137991/they-can-be-heroes-hong-kong-coach-raises-stakes-asia-cup-showdown?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Mar 2018 04:59:38 +0000 Kitchee striker Jorge Tarres and defender Tong Kin-man have won places in the Hong Kong national team after helping their club to a first ever AFC Champions League victory for a Hong Kong team – but goalscorer Cheng Chin-lun was overlooked. The trio were not in the preliminary 31-member list announced for Hong Kong’s must win tie against North Korea next week in the Asian Cup qualifiers. But Tarres and Tong made irresistible claims in the historic 1-0 victory over visitors Kashiwa Reysol of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2137811/hong-kong-national-team-call-ups-kitchee-champions-league-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2137811/hong-kong-national-team-call-ups-kitchee-champions-league-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Mar 2018 05:16:51 +0000 They call football the world game and I’d have to agree. I’ve been fortunate enough to have played games in some exotic destinations and against some diverse opposition. Beach soccer on Copacabana during the 2014 World Cup, a swamp soccer tournament in a muddy pool in the shadow of the Bird’s Nest, and an early morning kickaround with the Chinatown Soccer Club in the New York City snow would count among them, as would playing with child amputees on a dust patch in Cambodia or being schooled by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2137724/pyongyang-away-unforgettable-experience-even-defeat-hopefully-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2137724/pyongyang-away-unforgettable-experience-even-defeat-hopefully-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Mar 2018 00:03:15 +0000 Officials will have their fingers crossed the national anthem saga is coming to an end as Hong Kong host Lebanon in the Asian Cup qualifiers on Tuesday night. The match at Hong Kong Stadium will be the last home game for the representative team before the government tables a draft of the National Anthem Law to the Legislative Council early next year. Following approval from the Executive Council, the draft law would be sent to the council’s bills committee for scrutiny. “We hope this could be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2119679/impending-national-anthem-law-offers-hope-hkfa-admits-it-can-do?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2119679/impending-national-anthem-law-offers-hope-hkfa-admits-it-can-do?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Nov 2017 09:26:39 +0000 Hong Kong breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday after the regional governing body at long last finalised fixtures for the remaining Asian Cup group B qualifying fixtures. Dates for home and away matches between Malaysia and North Korea were up in the air because of political tensions between the two countries, with Hong Kong – who are second in the group – the most likely to be affected by the outcomes of these matches. Lebanon lead the four-team group and are unlikely to lose or benefit from the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/2116821/hong-kong-relief-afc-steps-resolve-malaysia-north-korea-asian-cup-qualifying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/2116821/hong-kong-relief-afc-steps-resolve-malaysia-north-korea-asian-cup-qualifying?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 13:11:22 +0000 China’s newly passed national anthem law will be put to the test in Hong Kong as the city takes on Laos in an international friendly at Mong Kok Stadium on Thursday. Hong Kong are preparing for next Tuesday’s crucial 2019 Asian Cup qualifier against Malaysia – but more attention will be focused on the fans’ behaviour than the action on the pitch. In recent years, a section of the team’s fans have regularly booed China’s national anthem before games in protest. Last month China passed a law... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2113953/hong-kong-soccer-match-set-be-first-major-test-chinas-new-respect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2113953/hong-kong-soccer-match-set-be-first-major-test-chinas-new-respect?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Oct 2017 05:49:12 +0000 Barcelona-born striker Jorge Tarres admitted on Monday night he feels shame after witnessing from afar the violence-tainted Catalan independence referendum, but the 36-year-old did not want to shift the attention away from Hong Kong’s upcoming AFC Asian Cup soccer qualifier against Malaysia. Hong Kong play host to Laos in an international friendly on Thursday in a match that is their final warm-up clash ahead of their qualifier against visitors Malaysia next week, a match they need to win to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2113730/spanish-born-jorge-tarres-condemns-violence-catalonia-he-eyes-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2113730/spanish-born-jorge-tarres-condemns-violence-catalonia-he-eyes-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Oct 2017 13:34:37 +0000 Captain Chan Siu-ki scored in the opening minute against Singapore in an international soccer friendly last night as Hong Kong received a timely booster ahead of their crucial match against Malaysia in the Asian Cup qualifiers. The hosts found the equaliser through a penalty in the second half to force a 1-1 draw. But the draw will lift Hong Kong’s confidence before they challenge the Malaysians. “It doesn’t bother me whether I score or not, ” said the Pegasus striker Chan, formerly of South... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2109232/hong-kong-earn-confidence-booster-they-hold-singapore-1-1-draw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2109232/hong-kong-earn-confidence-booster-they-hold-singapore-1-1-draw?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2017 14:56:57 +0000 Hong Kong coach Kim Pan-gon was forced to apologise for an outburst in a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Jordan as the fallout from South China’s withdrawal from next season’s Premier League spread to the national team. Kim was facing the media for the first time since the news broke of the Caroliners’ intention to drop down to the second tier in order to “nurture youth players”. He deflected the initial question at Mong Kok Stadium on Tuesday night when asked about his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2097261/hong-kong-coach-kim-pan-gon-apologise-outburst-south-china-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2097261/hong-kong-coach-kim-pan-gon-apologise-outburst-south-china-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jun 2017 05:03:02 +0000 Hong Kong made a disappointing start to their 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign after suffering a 2-0 defeat in Lebanon on Tuesday. Mohamad Ghaddar and Hassan Maatouk scored in the first half for the hosts at Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut. The result leaves Lebanon clear at the top of group B after the meeting between North Korea and Malaysia was postponed until June due to security concerns. Hong Kong, who lost their earlier friendly 4-0 to Jordan, remained in the contest... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2083089/hong-kong-lose-asian-cup-qualifying-opener-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2083089/hong-kong-lose-asian-cup-qualifying-opener-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2017 05:30:00 +0000 Full-back Wong Tsz-ho hopes to write another chapter to his fairy tale story as the Eastern defender embarks on an international career with the Hong Kong team. Wong, who turned 23 this month, left with the Hong Kong squad for Jordan yesterday for a friendly match before heading to Beirut for a 2019 Asian Cup qualifier against Lebanon. He is now considered among the new generation of players Hong Kong coach Kim Pan-gon will rely upon after he decided to drop some of the old guard. “It has been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/2080544/youngster-wong-tsz-ho-part-kim-pan-gons-plans-revitalise-hong-kong-squad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/2080544/youngster-wong-tsz-ho-part-kim-pan-gons-plans-revitalise-hong-kong-squad?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Mar 2017 13:00:30 +0000 National team coach Kim Pan-gon has urged caution of a mass exodus of Hong Kong players to the Chinese Super League in pursuit of potentially lucrative contracts without the guarantee of regular first team football following the success and hopefully impact of Jack Sealy and Festus Baise. Sealy played the full 90 minutes last weekend as Changchun Yatai lost 5-1 to the Oscar-led Shanghai SIPG, with Baise also playing the entire match as 2017 newcomers Guizhou Zhicheng shared a 1-1 draw with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2077855/hong-kong-coach-kim-pan-gon-urges-caution-pursuing-chinese-super-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2077855/hong-kong-coach-kim-pan-gon-urges-caution-pursuing-chinese-super-league?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Mar 2017 10:30:00 +0000 Malaysia’s Asian Cup qualifier against North Korea should be postponed, not moved to a neutral venue following the recent breakdown in relations between the two countries, Hong Kong FA chief executive Mark Sutcliffe said on Thursday. The Football Association of Malaysia have asked the Asian Football Confederation to switch the March 28 fixture from Pyongyang because of the diplomatic crisis caused by last month’s death of the estranged half-brother of North Korea ruler Kim Jong-un. Malaysia has... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2077512/malaysia-north-korea-asian-cup-match-should-be-postponed-says-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2077512/malaysia-north-korea-asian-cup-match-should-be-postponed-says-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Mar 2017 13:45:30 +0000 Malaysia has banned their football team from playing an AFC Asian Cup qualifying match in Pyongyang citing security threats amid a diplomatic row over the killing of Kim Jong-Nam in Kuala Lumpur, officials said on Monday. “The Malaysian Government’s decision to expel North Korea’s ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol on Saturday, appears to have made it unsafe for Malaysians to visit North Korea at this time,” said football association chief Hamidin Mohd Amin in a statement. “The government have... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2076444/malaysia-bans-team-north-korea-asian-cup-trip-over-kim-jong-nam-killing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2076444/malaysia-bans-team-north-korea-asian-cup-trip-over-kim-jong-nam-killing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Mar 2017 10:15:00 +0000