Penalty spares the blushes for Kitchee against minnows Kaya FC in AFC Cup
Hong Kong soccer champions score from the spot kick for the only goal of the game in their opening group encounter
Hong Kong champions Kitchee needed a dubious penalty to scrap past minnows Kaya FC of the Philippines 1-0 in their opening AFC Cup group soccer match at Mong Kok Stadium on Tuesday night.
Kitchee broke the deadlock after the interval when Lam Ka-wai was pushed inside the penalty box to earn a spot kick.
Spanish striker Rufino Sgovia, who joined the club last month during the winter transfer window, made no mistake to slot the goal but Kitchee coach Abraham Garcia was left unimpressed by his side’s effort.
We had many chances in the first half but we could not score
“We had many chances in the first half but we could not score,” said the coach. “We dominated the second half but didn’t create many chances. We played a new tournament in the midweek and it’s not easy.”
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Captain Lo Kwan-yee put a brave face on Kitchee’s performance. “The opponents were very fast in the opening stages and gave us a lot of pressure,” said the right back.
“But we kept trying and the depth of the squad gave us advantages with players coming off the bench and doing a good job.”
Kaya coach Joel Villarino was not happy with the referee. “Both teams played well, but Kitchee got the penalty. It was a ‘home decision’ by the referee,” said the coach.
