The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong passport wait may be over for second footballer with Michael Udebuluzor set to join Everton Camargo in national team

Udebuluzor’s nine-month wait for a Hong Kong passport could end next week after fresh progress

Striker ready to jet to the city from Germany to become eligible to form a new-look attack with Camargo for Jorn Andersen’s goal-starved side

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Hong Kong football officials are desperate to get a passport for Michael Udebuluzor (left) so that he is eligible to represent the city. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 6:31pm, 1 Sep 2023Updated: 6:51pm, 1 Sep 2023

Michael Udebuluzor is poised to dash to Hong Kong for a potential national team debut earlier than expected after the striker was told his passport would be ready next week.

The availability of Udebuluzor has long been high on the wish list of head coach Jorn Andersen, who is searching for a solution to his team’s goalscoring issues.

Andersen had already received one significant boost this week with news that Lee Man forward Everton Camargo had obtained his Hong Kong passport and would be available for the friendly matches against Cambodia on Thursday and Brunei the following Monday.

And the Brazil-born attacker could be joined by Udebuluzor in Hong Kong’s front line for the meeting with Brunei, barring any last-minute hiccups in the teenager’s long-running passport saga.

Brazil-born forward Everton Camargo, now with Lee Man, has been issued with a Hong Kong passport. Photo: HKFA

Hong Kong-born Udebuluzor had said only days ago that the friendlies “will be too soon” but that he was confident of being eligible to play in October’s two-legged Fifa World Cup qualifying play-off with Bhutan.