Qatar 2022: Hong Kong coach Mixu Paatelainen takes a ‘result first’ attitude as he opts for experience in debut World Cup qualifiers squad
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Hong Kong coach Mixu Paatelainen has said that the team needs to strike a balance between short-term gains and long-term goals as they head into their opening qualifiers for the next Fifa World Cup next month.
“First we need to have the angle of approach – how we want to go about with the national team.
“Is it the development first or is it the result first? At the moment it is result first,” he said.
“For these first two qualifiers I have chosen a team that has more experience as we are looking for results from a very difficult group.”
The Finn said that the door is still open for young players but this is why he has opted for experience in what will be his first competitive fixtures in charge of Hong Kong – the first two matches of the 2022 World Cup qualification Asian zone second round.