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Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
SportHong Kong

Hong Kong loses out on hosting AFC Champions League group stage; Thailand to host in summer

  • Hong Kong government had hoped to make it biggest international sporting event since pandemic outbreak
  • Hong Kong champions Kitchee will now have to play overseas in a new date between June to July

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Home fans cheer for Kitchee as they face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of South Korea in the 2018 AFC Champions League at the Hong Kong Stadium. Hong Kong lost out on the chance to host the 2021 group stage. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Chan Kin-wa
Hong Kong lost out in its bid to host the group stag of the AFC Champions League, the premier club competition in the region, scuppering the government’s plan to make it the biggest international sporting event held in Hong Kong since the pandemic outbreak.
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An announcement from the Asian Football Confederation on Thursday said: “Thailand will provide the backdrop for the matches in the East Region groups F, G and J, with the venues for groups H and I as well as the exact dates for all groups to be decided”.

Hong Kong champions Kitchee are in group J, which also features Guangzhou FC of the Chinese Super League, Thailand’s Port and a qualifier from the winner of a clash between J-League side Osaka Cerezo and a team from the preliminaries.

Dejan Damjanovic of Montenegro joins Kitchee to strengthen their hopes in the 2021 AFC Champions League. Photo: Handout
Dejan Damjanovic of Montenegro joins Kitchee to strengthen their hopes in the 2021 AFC Champions League. Photo: Handout

Group play will also take place on new dates between June and July with the exact schedule yet to be confirmed.

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When the draw was made in January, it was announced the event would kick off in mid April, but it is expected that the CSL is also slated to start its new season in mid April and the new date could avoid a potential clash.

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