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Paul McNamara

This is part two of the Post’s exclusive wide-ranging interview with Ashley Westwood, Hong Kong’s football head coach. You can read part one here.
Football loves a rivalry, and pitting Hong Kong against its fellow financial hub of Singapore works on multiple levels.
These two “Asian tigers”, drawn together in qualifying matches for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, will meet at Singapore National Stadium on March 25.
It is a key test for Hong Kong under head coach Ashley Westwood, who discussed it with the Post in part two of a wide-ranging exclusive interview.
The general secretary of the Lion City’s association, Chew Chun Liang, fanned the flames by calling Hong Kong “beatable”. Westwood declined to enter into a sledging contest, but expected his ninth match in charge to be the toughest so far.
“Manchester City are beatable, everyone is,” he said. “He’s just making sure his players understand they have a chance to win. We understand we’ll have to be at our best to get a result.”

The standard he seeks is the one shown against the Philippines in a 3-1 friendly win in November.
“Our strongest performance,” he said. “Only one team qualifies from the group, so there’s no room to slip up.”
Hong Kong will warm up with a game on Wednesday next week against neighbours Macau, ranked world No 193 to Hong Kong’s 155. Westwood denied picking weak opposition to pad his record, following six straight wins, and said he deliberated over whether to play the extra game, given the top four teams in the local league face each other days before it.
“If we had a game that pushed us to the maximum, players would overexert before four hours of travel,” Westwood said.
“If you don’t play, there’s a danger players will say they’re tired after the weekend and not meet up on the Monday, or say they’re carrying knocks, then you don’t see them until Friday, so you’ve paid for a hotel and train with 14 players.
“Having a game provides motivation, and it’s a valuable exercise to make us stronger.”
Westwood has come to understand motivation as both player and manager. His playing highlights included England youth caps, winning a League One play-off final with Crewe at Wembley, and Premier League survival at Bradford with a final-day victory over Liverpool.
After briefly managing non-league Kettering at age 35, Westwood was assistant to ex-Manchester United youth teammate Michael Appleton at Portsmouth, Blackpool and Blackburn. Success with Indian club Bengaluru meant he “ended up taking the Asia route”: stints in Malaysia, India again, then a first international job, in late 2023.
“Not many people would fly to Kabul to negotiate to take a job in Afghanistan,” Westwood said. “I’d been approached about international jobs a few times, but there was always someone saying I had no national experience. I wanted to make sure no one could say that again.
“Afghanistan were in the worst state possible … it was a gamble but I was confident I could do well.”

So to Hong Kong last August. He said the local Premier League was “getting stronger … but I would like it to be more competitive”.
A multi-entry mainland China visa allows him to watch Hong Kong players based there, and he would like to see more inbound travel, by permitting more foreign players – six – at the city’s clubs.
He differs from Hong Kong predecessor Jorn Andersen on that, and on another point. Andersen was routinely unhappy with players’ conditioning, but Westwood said: “Players I pick are fit enough. If there are questions over their fitness, application, professionalism or work-rate, I don’t pick them.
“In camp, the coaches are up at 7am working, we finish at midnight, the players see that work ethic and understand they have to give something back. They have been brilliant, and I think they enjoy what we’re doing.”


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Can Hong Kong’s footballers beat Singapore? Boss views Macau clash as rehearsal

Hong Kong’s Law Tsz-chun (left) and Singapore’s Glenn Kweh vie for the ball in a 2023 friendly match. Photo: Edmond So

Ashley Westwood issues instructions to Hong Kong players during training. Photo: Handout

Ashley Westwood called the win over the Philippines his side’s best display. Photo: Edmond So

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Alex Ferguson poses with the trophies Manchester United won in 1993-94. Ashley Westwood was a youth player at United at the time. Photo: Getty Images

Ashley Westwood at his unveiling as incoming head coach last August. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Alex Ferguson with Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges at Sha Tin races last year. Photo: Kenneth Chan

Hong Kong players listen to Ashley Westwood at training before his first match last October. Photo: HKFA

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Sport

Football

Hong Kong

In an interview with the Post, Ashley Westwood anticipates the toughest test of his reign – and it involves rival Asian hub


In an interview with the Post, Ashley Westwood anticipates the toughest test of his reign – and it involves rival Asian hub.


SCMP Exclusives

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}In an interview with the Post, Ashley Westwood anticipates the toughest test of his reign – and it involves rival Asian hub

In an interview with the Post, Ashley Westwood anticipates the toughest test of his reign – and it involves rival Asian hub