2022 World Cup is out of reach but Hong Kong still fighting for better Asian Cup draw

Hong Kong will need at least a draw to keep their place in the 2023 Asian Cup qualifying third round as they take on regional powerhouses Iraq in Bahrain on Friday.

With three Middle East countries dominating group C, Hong Kong are already out of the race for the 2022 World Cup finals, leaving them with the only hope of a better draw in the regional cup qualifiers under the joint qualification.

The four best fourth-placed teams across the eight groups will be drawn into the 2023 Asian Cup qualifying third round and Hong Kong are currently fourth in that table with a single point, thanks to a goalless draw against Bahrain at home in 2019.

With North Korea withdrawing from the qualifiers, leaving four teams only in group H compared to five teams in all other groups, the results against the fifth-placed team will not be counted when determining the ranking of the fourth-placed teams. Hong Kong collected four points from bottom team Cambodia with one win and one draw, but they will not be counted.

Manager Mixu Paatelainen has asked his charges to rise to the occasion following their 3-1 defeat by Iran last week when the tournament resumed in a zone competition, rather than on the home-and-away basis after an interruption of 20 months caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have a game plan which we practise every day and I am looking to seeing that game plan being executed,” said Paatelainen. “Every player has to be concentrated, ready, awake and to be sharp because Iraq’s players are fast and physically strong.