https://www.scmp.com/rss/523358/feed The latest news and top stories on Roberto Losada, a former professional footballer and the head coach of the Hong Kong Premier League club Eastern. Losada played forward in the La Liga with Real Oviedo and later in Hong Kong where he was named Footballer of the Year. Transitioning to coaching, he served as an assistant at Kitchee and Eastern before taking the top role. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ada Li Ada Li Hong Kong’s football team ended their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-1 defeat in the dead-rubber match against India in Kochi on Tuesday, finishing the group stage under interim head coach Roberto Losada. Losada, who took over after the departure of Ashley Westwood in November, is one of the more than 300 applicants in the running for the permanent head coach role. Hong Kong headed into the match knowing that they were unable to qualify for the Asian Cup next year after losing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348671/hong-kong-coach-losada-ends-asian-cup-qualifying-campaign-defeat-and-mixed-feelings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348671/hong-kong-coach-losada-ends-asian-cup-qualifying-campaign-defeat-and-mixed-feelings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:29:16 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara At first glance there is very little resting on Hong Kong’s Asian Cup qualifier in India on Tuesday, but the dead-rubber contest could potentially shape the next two years for the city team. An assured performance in steamy Kochi would strengthen interim boss Roberto Losada’s case to be chosen ahead of more than 300 rivals for the permanent head coach post. After what is expected to be the final stage of his very public audition for the role, Losada will outline a 24-month plan to his Football... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348356/asian-cup-clash-india-could-shape-hong-kong-future-roberto-losada-continues-audition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348356/asian-cup-clash-india-could-shape-hong-kong-future-roberto-losada-continues-audition?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Written off in some quarters following his second serious knee injury at the age of 22, and ignored by the last Hong Kong manager, Jordan Lam Lok-kan is back in the international fold and targeting his second cap in India next week. Kitchee left-back Lam, who spent time with English club Bury a decade ago, pressed his selection claims when he lashed home the penalty that sealed the city team’s Chinese New Year Cup shoot-out victory over FC Seoul last month. Having underlined his reputation as a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347721/after-injuries-and-being-ignored-kitchees-jordan-lam-make-most-his-second-chance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347721/after-injuries-and-being-ignored-kitchees-jordan-lam-make-most-his-second-chance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:46:15 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The local football association is navigating the “craziest Fifa window ever” after the eleventh-hour cancellation of Hong Kong’s friendly against Nepal uprooted preparations for next week’s Asian Cup qualifier in India. Having overcome the logistical nightmare of arranging Indian visas for players, the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) was given a fresh headache when its Nepalese counterparts scrapped plans for the match on Thursday because of heightening political tensions in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347574/hong-kong-football-bosses-scrambling-flights-india-after-nepal-friendly-cancelled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347574/hong-kong-football-bosses-scrambling-flights-india-after-nepal-friendly-cancelled?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada said managing Hong Kong would be a “life-changing job”, but played down the pressure as he prepared to audition for the role in his final two matches in interim charge. After leading the side in the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup and Chinese New Year Cup, Losada will get his first taste of genuine international football when the city team play Nepal on March 26, then travel to India for an Asian Cup qualifier five days later. The task of assembling a competitive squad has been “very... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347204/hong-kong-coach-eyeing-life-changing-role-ahead-nepal-and-india-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347204/hong-kong-coach-eyeing-life-changing-role-ahead-nepal-and-india-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:35 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Talented young Tai Po forward Lee Lok-him is juggling his football career with working on a geriatric hospital ward as part of the nursing degree he is taking to safeguard his future. Identified as a serious Hong Kong prospect by interim head coach Roberto Losada, the 21-year-old Lee started and finished Tai Po’s weekend defeat by Southern, after a decisive cameo off the bench in the recent Senior Shield final victory over BC Rangers. He said he was “a bit shocked but also excited” to be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345087/meet-hong-kong-footballer-balancing-passion-nursing-chasing-china-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345087/meet-hong-kong-footballer-balancing-passion-nursing-chasing-china-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:30:10 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara A condemned stadium in Nepal and an unloved Indian arena have been lined up to stage the next phase of Roberto Losada’s interim reign as Hong Kong head coach. A post on the All Nepal Football Association’s (ANFA) Facebook page on Wednesday said they would welcome Hong Kong for a friendly on March 26 at Dasharath Stadium, the Kathmandu venue the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has deemed unfit to host 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Five days after the proposed match in the Nepalese capital,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344577/hong-kong-footballers-play-condemned-nepal-venue-controversial-india-stadium?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344577/hong-kong-footballers-play-condemned-nepal-venue-controversial-india-stadium?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Jay Haddow said that reflecting on his decision to surrender Japanese citizenship “was always tough”, but the talented defender is convinced that obtaining a Hong Kong passport was the right call. Naturalised after a prolonged process last July, Haddow supplied the cross for fellow Kitchee player Juninho to open the scoring against FC Seoul on Saturday, as Hong Kong won the Chinese New Year Cup on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Born in Hong Kong to a Japanese mother and British... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344254/hong-kong-footballer-jay-haddow-making-peace-sacrificing-japanese-passport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344254/hong-kong-footballer-jay-haddow-making-peace-sacrificing-japanese-passport?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:27 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada was keeping his feet on the floor after Hong Kong beat FC Seoul 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation time on Saturday, although the interim head coach acknowledged that winning the FWD Insurance Chinese New Year Cup was “a beautiful thing”. Hong Kong led through Juninho’s first-half goal, but Patryk Klimala’s skilful 57th-minute leveller sent the game to a shoot-out. In front of a Hong Kong Stadium crowd of 14,089, roughly 6,000 down on attendances for the previous... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344211/hong-kong-win-lunar-new-year-cup-after-dramatic-penalty-shoot-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344211/hong-kong-win-lunar-new-year-cup-after-dramatic-penalty-shoot-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 09:35:29 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Jacky Leung Nok-hang said he held no grudge against previous Hong Kong bosses, but acknowledged his tally of 14 international caps was “one of the biggest disappointments of my career”. The defender, who recently left Zhejiang FC for Shenzhen Juniors to be closer to his ill father, last appeared for Hong Kong in November 2023. Leung was unable to answer a late call for former head coach Ashley Westwood’s first match in Liechtenstein in October 2024, because he was in Hong Kong visiting family... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344154/hong-kong-defender-leung-reveals-biggest-disappointment-shares-lunar-new-year-cup-joy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344154/hong-kong-defender-leung-reveals-biggest-disappointment-shares-lunar-new-year-cup-joy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada confirmed he had submitted his application for the permanent Hong Kong head coach post before the deadline on Thursday, and said he should not be judged on the outcome of this weekend’s Chinese New Year Cup clash with FC Seoul. Currently the interim boss, Losada is without most of his mainland-based players for Saturday’s Hong Kong Stadium match. He had a similarly understrength squad for the two-leg Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup, which the city team lost on penalties, around the turn... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344028/losada-submits-hong-kong-application-asks-not-be-judged-fc-seoul-outcome?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344028/losada-submits-hong-kong-application-asks-not-be-judged-fc-seoul-outcome?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Philip Chan Siu-kwan believes Tai Po desperately need to win the Senior Shield on Wednesday to “turn down the negative noises” that have gathered around the reigning league champions. Poised to battle BC Rangers for the first trophy of the campaign, Tai Po have waved the white flag on their Hong Kong Premier League title defence following a season marred by injuries and uncharacteristic fallibility at the back. They conceded 13 goals during a recent run of three defeats in four matches that left... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3343752/hong-kong-midfielder-philip-chan-out-silence-tai-po-doubters-senior-shield-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3343752/hong-kong-midfielder-philip-chan-out-silence-tai-po-doubters-senior-shield-win?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 02:00:40 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Having benefited from the “football and life lessons” delivered over one year in China League One, Jesse Yu Joy-yin has three major goals before he thinks about another cross-border move. Yu rejoined Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern last month after making 17 appearances in his season with Shijiazhuang Gongfu, and the midfielder has made a positive start towards his first target of “helping the club as much as I can”, playing an influential part in a 3-0 win over North District on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3343689/hong-kongs-jesse-yu-wants-second-shot-chinese-football-eyes-other-goals-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3343689/hong-kongs-jesse-yu-wants-second-shot-chinese-football-eyes-other-goals-first?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:19:03 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The BC Rangers goalkeeper, Yip Ka-yu, has been selected for Hong Kong eight months after his rape conviction was overturned. Yip is in a 23-man squad for next weekend’s Lunar New Year Cup meeting with FC Seoul at Hong Kong Stadium. The 29-year-old has kept two clean sheets in 13 matches since joining Rangers on the eve of this campaign. He was in the team that beat Eastern last Sunday to progress to the Senior Shield final, where Rangers will play Tai Po at Mong Kok Stadium next Wednesday, three... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3343305/hong-kong-footballer-city-squad-eight-months-after-rape-conviction-overturned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3343305/hong-kong-footballer-city-squad-eight-months-after-rape-conviction-overturned?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong’s football chief is ready to start his global hunt for a head coach and said he would be “watching very closely” when interim boss Roberto Losada has his latest audition this month. Losada will be in charge for Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year Cup game against FC Seoul on February 21, after it was confirmed on Monday that the one-off clash would replace the unloved legends matches staged for the two most recent editions of the 118-year-old fixture. Eric Fok Kai-shan, chairman of the Football... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3342136/hong-kong-football-chief-set-embark-head-coach-hunt-man-city-tipped-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3342136/hong-kong-football-chief-set-embark-head-coach-hunt-man-city-tipped-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The Hong Kong midfielder Jesse Yu Joy-yin has completed a deadline day transfer back to Eastern from China League One club Shijiazhuang Gongfu. Yu moved in the opposite direction just 12 months ago, but he has returned from the mainland after making 17 appearances during a largely frustrating stay. Eastern were yet to confirm the capture of Yu on Monday night, but sources have told the Post a deal has been agreed and confirmation is imminent. The 24-year-old playmaker has 19 Hong Kong caps. He... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3341298/hong-kong-club-eastern-stage-coup-re-sign-star-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3341298/hong-kong-club-eastern-stage-coup-re-sign-star-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:03:39 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The superstar pair of Rodri and Gerard Pique were among those who pinged Manu Torres with congratulatory messages, after their fellow Spaniard accepted the daunting task of replacing Roberto Losada as Eastern head coach. Torres nurtured Manchester City midfielder Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, during more than a decade coaching Villarreal’s youth teams. As assistant manager of FC Andorra in Spain’s second division for 2½ years until summer 2023, the 50-year-old reported to a majority owner... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3340560/rodri-and-gerard-pique-congratulate-eastern-boss-spaniard-praises-hong-kong-16-year-old?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3340560/rodri-and-gerard-pique-congratulate-eastern-boss-spaniard-praises-hong-kong-16-year-old?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:40:29 +0000 SCMP Sport,Agence France-Presse SCMP Sport,Agence France-Presse The delayed Indian Super League will kick off on February 14 after all 14 football clubs confirmed participation, officials said Wednesday. The ISL, India’s flagship football competition, is usually played between September and April. It faced uncertainty because a commercial rights agreement between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited, which operated the ISL, expired on December 9, leaving the league without a sponsor. Some clubs, including reigning champions Mohun Bagan, halted... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3339891/indias-super-league-starting-next-month-will-they-be-ready-hong-kong-march?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3339891/indias-super-league-starting-next-month-will-they-be-ready-hong-kong-march?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:00:31 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Spaniard Manu Torres has been appointed head coach of Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern after the exit of Roberto Losada last month. The popular and successful Losada ended his 4½-year reign after being installed as interim boss of Hong Kong. Torres has previously worked as technical assistant with the El Salvador national team and spent time in charge of the country’s under-20s. The 50-year-old left his last position as assistant manager of Portuguese second division club FC Vizela in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3339250/ex-el-salvador-youth-boss-torres-handed-reins-eastern-after-losada-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3339250/ex-el-salvador-youth-boss-torres-handed-reins-eastern-after-losada-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong suffered Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup penalty heartache for the second time in three years following a rousing second-half city team fightback in Guangzhou on Saturday. Trailing 2-0 at half-time at the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Centre, interim head coach Roberto Losada was rewarded for an inspired triple change as the visitors shook off their inertia to draw level with goals from Sun Ming-him and Wong Wai. Tied 4-4 on aggregate at the final whistle, the game went to penalties and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338628/hong-kong-pay-penalty-fall-flat-against-guangdong-after-rousing-second-half-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338628/hong-kong-pay-penalty-fall-flat-against-guangdong-after-rousing-second-half-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:47:50 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Everton Camargo’s second half penalty salvaged a 2-2 draw for Hong Kong in an ill-tempered affair against Guangdong on Sunday, with the visitors ending the game with nine men. Camargo’s 67th minute strike came either side of red cards for goalscorer Chen Wei and Huang Zishun, who had both already been booked in the first half of the fractious Hong Kong-Guangdong Cup encounter. Hong Kong had taken the lead through Sun Ming-him’s wonder strike at the end of the first half, only to lose it in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3337954/everton-camargo-penalty-saves-hong-kong-ill-tempered-clash-9-man-guangdong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3337954/everton-camargo-penalty-saves-hong-kong-ill-tempered-clash-9-man-guangdong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 15:00:07 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Roberto Losada has left Eastern with immediate effect, days after saying he would be quitting the Hong Kong Premier League club to focus on managing the city’s senior men’s team. Losada was named interim Hong Kong head coach last week, replacing Ashley Westwood, and will take charge of the side for the Guangdong Cup games over the new year. In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Eastern said they would look to Europe for a replacement, with assistant coach Cristiano Cordeiro taking... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336983/eastern-look-west-losada-replacement-after-coach-leaves-immediate-effect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336983/eastern-look-west-losada-replacement-after-coach-leaves-immediate-effect?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 01:29:56 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada confirmed on Sunday that he plans to quit as Eastern head coach after 4½ years in charge, just 48 hours after being named as Hong Kong’s interim boss. Losada, who has guided Eastern to successive FA Cup successes, was named as Ashley Westwood’s immediate successor on Friday and handed the job of leading the men’s team in the forthcoming Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup. Eastern had previously said their Spain-born manager, winner of the past three coach of the year awards, would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336419/roberto-losada-quit-eastern-days-after-being-named-interim-hong-kong-boss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336419/roberto-losada-quit-eastern-days-after-being-named-interim-hong-kong-boss?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada was named interim Hong Kong head coach on Friday, as the local football association began its hunt for a boss with “a global vision and professional competence” to replace Ashley Westwood. Manager of local Premier League club Eastern, Losada said last month that he was “super-ready” to lead Hong Kong. But the 49-year-old, who is set to combine the role with his Eastern duties, will clearly have to earn his stripes after being appointed for an indefinite period. Losada’s first... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336196/eastern-boss-roberto-losada-take-temporary-charge-hong-kong-mens-football-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336196/eastern-boss-roberto-losada-take-temporary-charge-hong-kong-mens-football-team?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 07:19:58 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Lee Chi-kin acknowledged Tai Po “still have a lot to learn” about competing against the continent’s best teams, ahead of their farewell AFC Champions League Two clash with Cong An Hanoi on Thursday. The local champions have made a good fist of their first Asian venture since 2020, but a 2-1 away defeat by Macarthur in Australia a fortnight ago condemned them to a group-stage exit with one match remaining. They lost all three away games, but have managed one win and one draw at home. Already... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3335942/afc-champions-league-2-tai-po-boss-aiming-grand-finale-team-have-lots-learn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3335942/afc-champions-league-2-tai-po-boss-aiming-grand-finale-team-have-lots-learn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 23:00:18 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The Eastern head coach, Roberto Losada, said he was praying for the victims of the deadly fire in his home district of Tai Po. Losada’s team had to play an AFC Champions League Two game against Gamba Osaka on Thursday, 24 hours after the blaze began, but he said he expected this weekend’s local league fixtures to be cancelled. The 49-year-old did not think events in Tai Po, where at least 65 people have lost their lives, had affected Eastern during their 5-0 loss at Mong Kok Stadium, but he said... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3334412/eastern-boss-and-tai-po-resident-roberto-losada-praying-victims-deadly-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3334412/eastern-boss-and-tai-po-resident-roberto-losada-praying-victims-deadly-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada has said he would be “super-ready” to become the new Hong Kong head coach if asked, after Ashley Westwood vacated the position on Monday. Speaking at a press conference ahead of his Eastern team’s AFC Champions League Two clash with Gamba Osaka on Thursday, Losada originally said it was “not the moment” to talk about the city team post. A Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) official then moved to shut down the topic, but Losada said: “The only thing I can say is I’m... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3334269/hong-kong-seeks-new-football-coach-roberto-losada-says-he-super-ready?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3334269/hong-kong-seeks-new-football-coach-roberto-losada-says-he-super-ready?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 23:00:17 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The Eastern head coach, Roberto Losada, said he would talk to his players to “figure out what is going on” after they feebly capitulated against Ratchaburi on Wednesday. After a goalless opening 45 minutes, the Thai team struck seven times in the second half to emphatically confirm Eastern’s AFC Champions League 2 exit. Since he was appointed in summer 2021, Losada has overcome the departures of a succession of key players to deliver two FA Cups, one Senior Shield and two top-three league... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3331804/eastern-boss-laments-loss-something-beautiful-aims-lift-devastated-players?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3331804/eastern-boss-laments-loss-something-beautiful-aims-lift-devastated-players?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:50:47 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Eastern suffered a second-half collapse on Wednesday that was as weak as it was astonishing, losing 7-0 to Ratchaburi and tumbling out of the AFC Champions League 2 with two games to play. The Hongkongers had been marginally the better side during a drab opening 45 minutes at Mong Kok Stadium, and vastly improved from their meek 5-1 defeat by the same opponents a fortnight ago. But Scott Allardice squeezed a 52nd-minute shot through the flimsy defences of goalkeeper Liu Fu-yuen to begin the most... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3331677/afc-champions-league-2-eastern-hit-7-ratchaburi-second-half-rout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3331677/afc-champions-league-2-eastern-hit-7-ratchaburi-second-half-rout?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 14:39:35 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Eastern coach Roberto Losada has raised the unlikely possibility that he could lose his job should his side fail to reverse their poor early-season form. The Hong Kong FA Cup holders have won only twice in 11 games, and it would be a shock if they were to end a five-match winless streak when they host Ratchaburi in the AFC Champions League 2 on Wednesday night. A fortnight ago, they were thrashed 5-1 by the same opponents in Thailand. Their campaign sank to a new low when they lost 1-0 to newly... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3331530/afc-champions-league-eastern-boss-expects-scrutiny-ratchaburi-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3331530/afc-champions-league-eastern-boss-expects-scrutiny-ratchaburi-test?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 14:04:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada paid tribute to his “humble and hard working” Eastern team, despite their 1-0 AFC Champions League Two defeat by streetwise Vietnamese champions Nam Dinh on Thursday. The head coach also leapt to the defence of Leung Kwun-chung after the midfielder was caught in possession in the lead-up to Kristoffer Hansen’s decisive 54th-minute strike. The Hong Kong FA Cup holders have lost their opening two matches, with back-to-back fixtures against Thai club Ratchaburi to come next, and Vu... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3327682/afc-champions-league-2-hong-kongs-eastern-sunk-after-costly-error?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3327682/afc-champions-league-2-hong-kongs-eastern-sunk-after-costly-error?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 13:54:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara On the eve of Eastern’s AFC Champions League Two clash with Nam Dinh on Thursday, head coach Roberto Losada issued a stark appraisal of his club’s current predicament. The Hong Kong FA Cup holders lost a succession of key performers over the summer, after being similarly raided midway through last season. The majority of new recruits arrived deep into pre-season, and an unusually disjointed Eastern have won only two of their six matches in all competitions. They lost their opening ACL2 game 3-1... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3327534/eastern-boss-says-club-survival-moment-ahead-afc-champions-league-2-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3327534/eastern-boss-says-club-survival-moment-ahead-afc-champions-league-2-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Champions Tai Po are geared up for a meeting with big-spending Lee Man on Saturday, as the new Hong Kong Premier League campaign gets under way with a bumper weekend of matches. Eastern District, who have joined what is now a 10-team top flight, will go to last season’s assured new boys Kowloon City on Sunday. The whole show gets on the road when Eastern host Kitchee on Friday at Mong Kok Stadium. North District, tipped by a lot of insiders for a vastly improved campaign, host Football Club on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3323588/hong-kong-premier-league-lee-man-pip-tai-po-title-more-silverware-eastern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3323588/hong-kong-premier-league-lee-man-pip-tai-po-title-more-silverware-eastern?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:30:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara While Hong Kong’s best are in South Korea for the East Asian Football Championship, the city’s top clubs have been accelerating their preparations for the new campaign. Not that Tai Po, Eastern, Kitchee, Lee Man and the rest know precisely what they are readying themselves for. The local football association has confirmed Eastern District will be promoted into a new 10-team Premier League, as first reported by the Post. But there is no word on when the new campaign will begin or the design of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3317480/hong-kong-football-clubs-dark-over-new-season-pushing-ahead-signings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3317480/hong-kong-football-clubs-dark-over-new-season-pushing-ahead-signings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 04:30:09 +0000