Fifa fines Hong Kong FA HK$120,000 for ‘disciplinary reasons’ after crowd tarnishes World Cup qualifier against Iran

Supporters at Hong Kong Stadium booed China’s national anthem before the Iran match, which was attended by a crowd of 14,000

Hong Kong will play hosts to Bahrain and Cambodia next month and the HKFA is carrying on preparations as planned

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Fans at the Hong Kong v Iran match at Hong Kong Stadium in Happy Valley. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 12:42pm, 9 Oct 2019Updated: 1:04pm, 9 Oct 2019

The Hong Kong Football Association is to proceed with preparations for two 2022 World Cup qualifying matches despite being fined 15,000 Swiss francs (HK$120,000) by Fifa for “disciplinary reasons” during the clash against Iran.

Although Fifa did not specify any particular incident, the fine is believed to be related to the behaviour of fans who booed the China national anthem before the match at Hong Kong Stadium on September 10 and formed a human chain at half-time in support of the anti-government protests.

Similar scenes are expected when Hong Kong play host to Bahrain at the 40,000-seater So Kon Po facility on November 14, and then again when they take on Cambodia at the same venue five days later.

“We won’t change our plans at the moment, although we will keep a close eye on the social situation,” said HKFA chairman Pui Kwan-kay. “So far we have not received any inquiry from concerned parties and will continue our preparation for the two home games as planned.”

Fans support the protest movement at the Hong Kong v Iran game. Photo: Felix Wong

The decision to go ahead with the matches comes after a number of sporting events in Hong Kong had been cancelled or postponed because of the social unrest. The Prudential Hong Kong Women’s Tennis Open, Hong Kong Formula E race in March and the Hong Kong Squash Open in December are among the events to be called off.