Hong Kong’s Stefan Pereira ‘not afraid’ of risking his future in World Cup qualifiers
- Forward willing to play without insurance if needed in Hong Kong’s matches against Iran and Turkmenistan.
Stefan Pereira said he was “not afraid” to risk his football future, after agreeing to play without insurance if needed in Hong Kong’s World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Turkmenistan.
The striker was surprisingly let go by local Premier League club Southern at the end of the season, and although talking to clubs in the city, has no cover from a club until he signs a new contract.
A host of players, including Jesse Yu Joy-yin, Marcus Chang Hei-yin, and Lam Hin-ting are sitting out the games to resolve their futures, but veteran centre-half, Helio Goncalves, messaged interim head coach Wolfgang Luisser at midnight on Sunday to say he could join the squad after penning a new deal with Kitchee.
Pereira acknowledged having mixed feelings over last week’s resignation of ex-head coach Jorn Andersen, but said he had no hesitation in making himself available.
Getting injured would hurt the 36-year-old’s chances of finding a new club, potentially without financial compensation, but Pereira said he was “not afraid” to play and train with that hanging over him.
“It is an uncomfortable thing, but I want to play and fight for Hong Kong,” he said. “I did not expect [release from Southern], but that is football. They told me they want to bring in new players, who are younger than me.