AFC Asian Cup: historic first goal since 1968 shows Hong Kong can shine, scorer Philip Chan says as long wait ends

‘I thought my finish was a little bit lucky, but I followed the coach’s orders,’ Chan says of his contribution in defeat by United Arab Emirates

But Hong Kong players are left incensed by VAR decisions, with Oliver Gerbig saying ‘the guy dived’ to earn UAE’s second of two soft penalties

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Philip Chan (centre) is ecstatic after scoring for Hong Kong against UAE in Doha. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:02pm, 15 Jan 2024Updated: 7:13pm, 15 Jan 2024

Philip Chan Siu-kwan claimed he was lucky to score the goal that reannounced Hong Kong on the Asian Cup stage, but reluctantly or otherwise, he entered the annals of local football as the man who ended a 56-year wait.

Chan’s equaliser in the eventual 3-1 defeat by United Arab Emirates in Qatar on Sunday was Hong Kong’s first in the finals since Li Kwok-keung netted against China at the 1968 edition in Iran – the last time the city qualified.

But rather than checking the history books, the modest Chan said he was happy his strike had shown his teammates they could flourish at the tournament after their long absence and despite being its lowest-ranked team.

Midfielder Chan capped an exceptional personal performance at Khalifa International Stadium when he stole in front of dozing left-back Zayed Sultan to volley home Everton Camargo’s cross. Not that he was keen to stand out.

Hong Kong players savour the moment after Philip Chan’s goal drew them level on Sunday. Photo: AFP

“We played a good game, and my goal shows the team everyone is capable of scoring against these strong opponents,” Chan told the Post.

“I thought my finish was a little bit lucky, but I followed the coach’s orders, he tells the midfielders to be aggressive and get into those areas. I hope it will be the first of many goals for me.”