Hong Kong boss Jorn Andersen ‘unhappy’ as lack of match fitness costs his side in Cambodia – despite end to goal drought
- Coach says ‘players are not used to going 90 minutes under high tempo’ after Everton Camargo’s debut goal is cancelled out by late Cambodia reply
- Hong Kong host Brunei on Monday as they prepare for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Bhutan
Jorn Andersen lamented his Hong Kong team’s lack of stamina after they were denied victory away to Cambodia by the hosts’ late rally on Thursday night.
The visitors conceded an equaliser in the 90th minute in Phnom Penh against a side ranked 27 places below them, and it might have been worse still for their Norwegian boss, with Cambodia having missed a penalty minutes earlier.
The one bright point for Andersen was newly naturalised striker Everton Camargo’s debut goal, which was Hong Kong’s first – excluding an own goal – in almost a year.
However, the opponents were a team Hong Kong had beaten 3-0 last year on their way to qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup finals.
Camargo even had a chance to win the game, but his shot with almost the last kick of the game was well saved by Cambodia’s Hul Kimhuy.
“Of course I am not happy [with the result] when we were leading away 1-0 and got 1-1 in the last minute,” Andersen said. “We are a bit disappointed but I had to say the season just started in Hong Kong.
“We only played one or two matches and the players are not used to going 90 minutes under high tempo. Maybe be this is the reason for the difference between the first half and second half.”
Lee Man forward Camargo’s goal from a free-kick in the first half was Hong Kong’s first since they beat Myanmar 2-0 in a friendly played behind closed doors at Mong Kok Stadium last September.
Cambodia, who are ranked 176th in the world by Fifa, fought back in the second half and could have levelled in the 84th minute, but substitute Chan Vathanaka blazed his penalty over the bar.
The home side’s persistence finally paid off minutes later, when Sin Sophanat, also a second-half substitute, lost his marker inside the six-yard box from a corner and fired home.
“In the first half we dominated the game [and] Cambodia didn’t have too many chances,” Andersen said. “In the second half we tried to do it better and make more goals, but Cambodia were really strong in the second half.”
The head coach tried to put a positive spin on things, but acknowledged his side could well have lost again.
“They put some new players in and there was more danger from them,” he said. “But again, this is a friendly match and we are here to see some players, to test the team.”
Brazilian-born Camargo only obtained his Hong Kong passport last week after fulfilling the seven-year residency requirement and became eligible to play.
He had three to four good chances in the match, while Sun Ming-him, one of the two last players that scored for Hong Kong against Myanmar, was active up front, along with Matthew Orr, but they could not get passed Kimhuy.
“Cambodia have a very good goalkeeper,” Andersen said. “We could not hold the same tempo or the same pressure in the second half as we did in the first half and then we let Cambodia come back in the game.
“Perhaps we need more practices and more training. We have created enough chances, three or four good chances in the first half and also in the second half but that’s been our problem for a long time.”
Camargo’s impressive all-round performance earned him the man-of-the-match award, and he said he thought the side had generally played well but rued their inability to convert the chances they created.
Andersen will be hoping his side’s struggles in front of goal can be eased further by Michael Udebuluzor, who plays in Germany and is expected to make his debut after also obtaining his Hong Kong passport this week.
The squad returned home on Friday, then take on Brunei at Hong Kong Stadium on Monday as part of their preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which begin with a two-legged tie against Bhutan next month.
