Football officials praise fans for strong support as Hong Kong Premier League gets under way
- Eastern Long Lions and Wofoo Tai Po finish with a goalless draw in the opening match of the Hong Kong Premier League season
- At Aberdeen Sports Ground, Kwoon Chung Southern took control of their opening match against HK U-23 to collect their first win of the season
Football officials have praised Hong Kong fans for their strong support as the BOC Hong Kong Premier League season kicked off with gusto on Saturday.
At Mong Kok Stadium, some 2,448 spectators turned out to witness a goalless draw between Eastern Long Lions and newcomers Wofoo Tai Po, while in Aberdeen some 860 fans came out to see their home side Kwoon Chung Southern’s 2-0 win over HK U-23.
“We haven’t had a top tier match for almost eight months and the fans were eager to come,” Football Association chairman Pui Kwan-kay said. “Also, Tai Po have a strong fan base while Eastern also have some die hard fans and a long club history.”
Despite having more control and possession, Eastern lacked the finishing touch to beat the newcomers, while Tai Po showed some moments of danger with their fast counter attack. Tai Po also showed solid defence, which at times seemed to frustrate Eastern.
In his first game with the club, Tai Po centre back Gabriel Moreira was named MVP. The Brazilian said he was delighted with his debut in Hong Kong.
“We prepared the match very well during the week and followed the instructions of the coach,” Moreira said,
“The level of Hong Kong football is good and I like it. I feel very satisfied with my performance. The first point we won today is important as we started something new.”