The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong’s history-making players fly home – but 9 stranded after Covid-19 positives

9 players and 3 officials stuck in Bangkok after testing positive in transit from India, where Hong Kong qualified for Asian Cup for first time since 1968

8 who were negative make it back to Hong Kong, where they too head for quarantine – including Wong Wai, who hails attacking style under new boss Jorn Andersen

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The eight players who completed the journey back from India arrive at Hong Kong airport. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Published: 7:30am, 17 Jun 2022

With their historic Asian Cup qualification to declare, the Hong Kong football squad landed at the city’s airport on Thursday – but there were only eight of them.

Nine players, along with three officials, had tested positive for Covid-19 when they stopped in Bangkok en route, and had been sent to Thai hotel quarantine.

The squad had travelled via Thailand because several of them were due to remain there to join their clubs Eastern and Lee Man, with Hong Kong coach Jorn Andersen also detouring to watch their group stage matches next week in regional club competition the AFC Cup.

Having all tested negative on their departure from India – where they had clinched a place in the Asian Cup finals for the first time since 1968 – the Hong Kong party were tested on arrival in Bangkok and 12 positive cases were found.

A happy Wong Wai after scoring the first goal against Afghanistan. Photo: HKFA

Among the eight members of the 26-strong squad who did make it back to Hong Kong, where they too began a week’s hotel quarantine, was Wong Wai. He said illness would be an abiding memory of the trip.

“The conditions in Kolkata were very poor,” the midfielder said. “Not only were there previous Covid-19 cases in the team, but there were problems every morning – someone was sick or had diarrhoea. The hotel we stayed at was full of people for parties or functions, and people you came across in the lift did not wear masks.