AFC Asian Cup: Hong Kong’s army of fans spending thousands and flying across world to follow team’s historic journey

Hong Kong football fans are breaking the bank to follow their team at the Asian Cup, with some saving thousands of dollars by flying circuitous routes and another jetting to London between matches in Qatar. Around 500 supporters are in the Middle East to back Hong Kong at the team’s first continental finals since 1968. One of those, Tom Hui, limited his financial hit by spending 21 hours in Doha for the opening clash with United Arab Emirates last Sunday, then flying to England for four nights before returning on Thursday. “To stay in Doha for 12 days would have cost HK$17,000 [US$2,175],” Hui said. “By going to London then coming back, I saved HK$8,000. “For the first match, I landed in Qatar at 5am, and was on a flight to London at 2am the next day.” Hong Kong’s two major supporter groups have combined to form the United Army in Qatar. Their incessant chants are providing a clamorous backdrop to the team’s efforts on the field. Hui’s friend, fans’ group leader Ng Cheuk-hang, joined him among the devotees invited to meet head coach Jorn Andersen and his players at the team’s Doha hotel about 16 hours after the full-time whistle at Khalifa International Stadium. Hong Kong defender Shinichi Chan said: “What a crowd we have, I am really touched, deep in my heart, and hugely appreciate their support. They give us extreme motivation. We are strangers, but when we see each other, we are like a family. “I do not have the words to fully explain how their backing makes me feel, but I am really proud, and will keep working hard for them.” Ng reduced his costs by enduring a 17-hour slog via Kuala Lumpur and Colombo. His return trip includes stops in Bangkok and back in the Malaysian capital. Flying direct to Doha from Hong Kong takes around nine hours, while return flight economy-class tickets with Cathay Pacific cost between HK$21,893 and HK$28,058. One-way prices start at HK$15,964, with the most expensive HK$21,876. The 29-year-old Ng went to his first match around 2006, and has followed Hong Kong to “12 or 13 countries”, including Bhutan, Iran and Mongolia. He was “one of only two Hong Kong fans in the stadium” for November’s World Cup qualifier in Iran. “We have 500 people at the matches here, it is an amazing moment, after nearly 20 years following the national team,” Ng said. “The team is making history, but the fans are, too. If you hid the name of the team during our first two matches, people would not guess we were fans from Hong Kong. The atmosphere, and the way we supported our team, was the same as in European stadiums, or if you go to Japan. “After this competition, the culture of Hong Kong fans will change.” Players and supporters mingling, comfortable in each other’s company, and sharing in football chants, were a source of curiosity for holidaymakers. Ng, who has friends who paid up to HK$20,000 to fly in for the Iran game, after being inspired by what they saw on their screens from the first fixture, said: “In Europe, there is a big distance between players and fans. “Here, we can be friends … the circle of Hong Kong football is small. The relationship between fans and players is different from the other countries, this is our special culture.” Hui will add to his HK$25,000 outlay if Hong Kong beat Palestine and reach the last 16. “I am a Hong Kong person, and it is my duty to support the team,” he said. “It is a huge part of my life, through Hong Kong football, I met a lot friends, and 13 years ago, I met my wife. She joined me here on Thursday. “I hope this tournament makes more Hong Kong people pay attention to the team.” Hui has ventured to Malaysia and Maldives to watch Hong Kong, and in 2018 went to North Korea for an Asian Cup qualifier. “There were about 30 of us, we went together through an agency, so they probably ensured tourists saw what the government wanted, but the people were friendly, and the tour guides spoke English and Mandarin.” Qatar is creating lifelong memories, too. “I have never seen a Hong Kong team compete like this with a West Asian side [Iran],” Hui said. “We had chances to score, and terrified our opponents.” Ng added: “We love seeing a team like this, they are tough and powerful, with players running non-stop. This is the new DNA of Hong Kong football.”