Recrowned Hong Kong kings Kitchee say making more impact in Asia is next mission
Club president Ken Ng Kin aiming to build ‘stronger and better’ team for continental quest, asks for patience over star striker chase
Kitchee reduced this season’s Hong Kong Premier League to a one-horse race, and club president Ken Ng Kin has promised they will be “stronger and better” when it comes time to compete with their moneyed Asian rivals next term.
Other than the hunt for a star striker that Ng does not expect to conclude until late summer, Kitchee have quietly completed their recruitment, with the Lee Man pair of Everton Camargo and Dudu believed to be among those set to join.
Ng is expecting “a different team altogether” for the AFC Champions League Two push to come, and said coach Inigo Calderon was “more comfortable” after nearly a year in charge.
In keeping with the recent struggles of Hong Kong clubs in Asian competitions, Kitchee were dumped out of the group stage on their last appearance in the 2023-24 campaign.
Still, they reached the last 16 of a Covid-affected 2022 tournament.
“We want to improve on that, which means getting to the quarter-finals,” Ng said. “It’s not easy, because other clubs invest money … but we’ll really try. We want to make Hong Kong proud.”