https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/315975/feed The Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) is the governing body for football in the city. Established in 1909, it is one of the game’s oldest governing bodies in Asia and organises various competitions from youth level to professional leagues. It also oversees the Hong Kong representative team. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Supreme Sha Tin have pulled off an astonishing coup after tempting David Silva out of retirement and into a short-term deal with the ambitious Hong Kong Premier League club. World Cup winner Silva hung up his boots three years ago following an enormously decorated career with Valencia, Manchester City and Real Sociedad. Nonetheless, the 40-year-old was unable to resist the opportunity with newly-promoted Supreme, who this week appointed Englishman Tom Ballantyne as their head coach, and he could... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370063/manchester-city-legend-david-silva-comes-out-retirement-hong-kong-stint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370063/manchester-city-legend-david-silva-comes-out-retirement-hong-kong-stint?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Jorn Andersen was on the brink of a sensational return as Hong Kong head coach earlier this year, only for talks to collapse and pave the way for interim boss Roberto Losada’s permanent appointment. Enormously popular with supporters after ending the city team’s 55-year wait to reach a major tournament at the last Asian Cup finals, Andersen ultimately accepted a “great offer” from Myanmar back in July. He had been unemployed for two months after leaving Yunnan Yukun when the local football... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369890/hong-kong-return-collapsed-because-football-bosses-cant-forgive-me-andersen-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369890/hong-kong-return-collapsed-because-football-bosses-cant-forgive-me-andersen-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara As Hong Kong bathed in the afterglow of their Fifa Asean Challenge Cup triumph on Saturday, the level-headed Sun Ming-him cautioned that World Cup qualification remained a pipe dream for Roberto Losada’s team. What Sun, one of Hong Kong’s best players, did not know as he spoke was that despite the World Cup swelling to 48 teams this year, and another 16 potentially joining mammoth future editions, the city side’s qualifying task could soon become all but impossible. It has been reported that on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369794/proposed-asian-football-reforms-threaten-kill-hong-kongs-world-cup-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369794/proposed-asian-football-reforms-threaten-kill-hong-kongs-world-cup-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara More than 30,000 Hong Kong fans gave Gianni Infantino their raucous verdict on his leadership of world football on Saturday, before and after watching the city team beat Cambodia 2-0 to be crowned inaugural Fifa Asean Challenge Cup champions. Infantino, the Fifa president, was lustily booed when he delivered the trophy to the pitch alongside local football association president Pui Kwan-kay before kick-off. When he returned to present the spoils to Hong Kong, the stadium PA was raised to an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369668/fifa-asean-cup-gianni-infantino-incurs-hong-kong-fans-wrath-city-team-claim-trophy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369668/fifa-asean-cup-gianni-infantino-incurs-hong-kong-fans-wrath-city-team-claim-trophy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 14:28:28 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The adoption of the Phnom Penh Declaration at last week’s international conference on online scams contains welcome language on international cooperation and victim protection. However, the 11-point statement ultimately leaves some of the hardest questions unanswered. Its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369521/phnom-penh-declaration-online-scams-short-details?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369521/phnom-penh-declaration-online-scams-short-details?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara A Hong Kong team “in transition” will battle upwardly mobile and ambitious Cambodia on Saturday for the unremarkable honour of being crowned Fifa Asean Challenge Cup champions. Although the city team copped some flak for their performance in a 2-0 victory over Brunei on Wednesday, having trounced the same opponents 10-0 three years ago, Roberto Losada and his players should be cut some slack after the head coach made nine changes from the 4-0 victory over Laos three days earlier. Equally, Hong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369607/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-hong-kong-city-team-set-cambodia-asean-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369607/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-hong-kong-city-team-set-cambodia-asean-final?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:20 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Hong Kong has become the latest stop on Gianni Infantino’s global tour to shore up support ahead of next year’s Fifa presidential election. The under-fire boss, who is still recovering from the fallout of his ill-fated plan to sell off the World Cup, arrived in the city on Friday and is expected to stay for the inaugural Fifa Asean Challenge Cup final between Hong Kong and Cambodia at Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday. While Eric Fok Kai-shan, chairman of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369631/gianni-infantino-brings-global-goodwill-tour-hong-kong-ahead-fifa-asean-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369631/gianni-infantino-brings-global-goodwill-tour-hong-kong-ahead-fifa-asean-final?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:48:51 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Vladica Grujic said Hong Kong played “a completely different level of football” from his Laos side, after the world No 186 ranked team were thumped 4-0 in the Fifa Asean Cup on Sunday. Sun Ming-him and Everton Camargo, brilliantly, netted in the opening half, before Dudu’s 55th-minute header defeated the flimsy defences of Souksamone Vethita, and Matt Orr emphatically converted a stoppage-time penalty. Unsurprisingly, Laos did not prove a hot ticket, although the 18,873 fans inside Kai Tak... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368969/fifa-asean-cup-hong-kong-brink-final-midfielder-stars-return-exile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368969/fifa-asean-cup-hong-kong-brink-final-midfielder-stars-return-exile?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:27 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Vladica Grujic skirted the question over why he wanted to remain Laos head coach after the dismal fallout from their recent Asean Championship campaign, but the inquiry was valid. The opponents for Hong Kong’s opening Fifa Asean Cup match at Kai Tak Stadium on Sunday, Laos made wholesale changes for the tournament after the country’s football federation called for an investigation into alleged match-fixing, bribery and illegal gambling among its own squad following a series of heavy Asean... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368899/mired-match-fixing-scandal-hong-kongs-next-opponents-laos-hope-reinvention-holds-key?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368899/mired-match-fixing-scandal-hong-kongs-next-opponents-laos-hope-reinvention-holds-key?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Scheduling the pre-tournament press conference less than five hours before the opening match did little to disabuse anyone of the impression that everybody involved in organising the inaugural Fifa Asean Cup is flying by the seat of their pants. It all got too much for Vladica Grujic, the fiery Laos head coach, as the clock ticked 15 minutes beyond the scheduled 12.15pm start time. “This is crazy, we’re playing this evening and my player [captain Bounphachan Bounkong] needs to have lunch,”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368708/hong-kong-hero-back-town-fifa-asean-cup-current-coach-plays-down-key-man-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368708/hong-kong-hero-back-town-fifa-asean-cup-current-coach-plays-down-key-man-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:29:31 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Having long ago agreed to coaching duties with Hong Kong this week, the interim Eastern head coach Cristiano Cordeiro has landed himself with a calendar clash. “It’s chaos,” he said, a light-hearted comment that would aptly describe Eastern’s embryonic campaign. Beaten in their opening match by newly promoted Supreme Sha Tin, who have since lost four straight games, Eastern then received two red cards in a 4–1 defeat by Tai Po. One of them went to Leung Kwun-chung, who duly resigned as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368263/after-chaotic-start-are-five-time-hong-kong-champions-club-crisis-or-transition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368263/after-chaotic-start-are-five-time-hong-kong-champions-club-crisis-or-transition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The local football association has planted its flag in the camp of Gianni Infantino, the embattled Fifa president who is expected in Hong Kong for the final of the second-tier Asean Cup on October 3. At a media event to announce details for the coming competition on Friday, Eric Fok Kai-shan fudged the direct question over whether Infantino retained his organisation’s backing. But the chairman of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) said that “whoever supports Hong Kong football... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368027/fok-fudges-hong-kong-football-chiefs-appear-ready-make-gianni-infantino-their-man?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368027/fok-fudges-hong-kong-football-chiefs-appear-ready-make-gianni-infantino-their-man?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:00:06 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Five days away from one of the biggest matches of his young life, it would have been understandable had Sohgo Ichikawa reined in his efforts when his club team, Lee Man, faced Eastern District. Instead, the 22-year-old buzzed about on Friday in the manner that has made him the outstanding young player of the early part of the Hong Kong Premier League season. He will step out for the under-23s’ opening Asian Games fixture against his birth country, Japan, next Wednesday cradling fresh memories of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367302/asian-games-meet-footballer-japanese-blood-ready-fight-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367302/asian-games-meet-footballer-japanese-blood-ready-fight-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:23 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara He has a degree in accountancy but Tsang Chiu-tat can rarely have encountered a calculation as complex as the one of trying to help the Hong Kong under-23 team compete in this month’s Asian Games. Appointed in July after predecessor Darren Arnott quit to become Football Club head coach, Tsang will work with his full 23-man squad for the first time on the eve of next Wednesday’s opening fixture against hosts Japan in the 45,000-capacity Toyota Stadium. This week, those players in the city have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366816/asian-games-hong-kong-football-boss-left-little-time-prepare-japan-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366816/asian-games-hong-kong-football-boss-left-little-time-prepare-japan-test?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 04:00:17 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara While the famously taciturn Football Association of Hong Kong, China is refusing to pick a side, elsewhere in Asia battle lines are being drawn between those that support Fifa president Gianni Infantino and those who want him kicked out of the game. With little more than two months to go before the deadline to nominate a challenger in next year’s election, a look at who stands where shows a region deeply divided, with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) aligning with its counterparts in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366214/house-divided-asia-still-split-infantinos-future-hkfa-wont-say-where-loyalties-lie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366214/house-divided-asia-still-split-infantinos-future-hkfa-wont-say-where-loyalties-lie?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara After a barren time in the Scottish Highlands that he called the “hardest year of my life”, James Scott has pitched up in Hong Kong aiming to “make a name for myself again”. Still only 25, and a former Scotland under-21 striker, Scott is a fine signing for Supreme Sha Tin, the club that drew the fifth-largest turnout of the 12-year Hong Kong Premier League era on Friday. A whopping 4,592 crowd turned out for their Mong Kok Stadium clash with Lee Man, although a 3-0 defeat was not in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365713/james-scott-scotland-star-who-once-infuriated-celtic-out-reboot-career-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365713/james-scott-scotland-star-who-once-infuriated-celtic-out-reboot-career-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Soon after he joined the Hong Kong football association 2½ years ago, the now outgoing technical director John Morling pointed to the success of Croatia and asked, “why can’t that be us?” With a population just shy of 4 million, Croatia have reached one World Cup final and two semi-finals in the past 28 years. Now, Davor Suker, one of the stars of their 1998 run to the last four, is poised to share some of his country’s secrets with Hong Kong: population 7 million, world No 156 and as far away... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365495/infantino-doing-great-job-world-cup-star-suker-says-tells-hong-kong-be-more-croatia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365495/infantino-doing-great-job-world-cup-star-suker-says-tells-hong-kong-be-more-croatia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:05:06 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Darren Arnott likens the ongoing challenge for Football Club to that of someone “hanging on to a cliff and trying to pull themselves up”. When they lost their grip on the precipice last season, local football chiefs handily provided a safety net, sparing the Hong Kong Premier Division’s bottom team from relegation to the First Division. Having finished dead last in the previous campaign, too, they are unlikely to get lucky a third time. Boasting a slim budget and, as a members’ club, confronted... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365095/hong-kong-football-clubs-faith-world-class-ex-premier-league-coach-inspire-upturn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365095/hong-kong-football-clubs-faith-world-class-ex-premier-league-coach-inspire-upturn?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Kitchee have sprinkled more stardust on the local Premier League after confirming the signing of free-agent former Spain under-21 midfielder Victor Camarasa. A spectator from the stands as Kitchee began their Hong Kong title defence with a 3-2 victory at BC Rangers on Saturday, Camarasa played 31 games in the English Premier League during a season-long loan with Cardiff City in 2018-19. The 32-year-old, who joins Asier Illarramendi, the ex-Spain and Real Madrid midfielder, on the books of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365086/former-spain-under-21-player-joins-kitchee-hong-kong-league-gets-more-stardust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3365086/former-spain-under-21-player-joins-kitchee-hong-kong-league-gets-more-stardust?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:05:50 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Kitchee will begin their title defence away at BC Rangers on Saturday, while intriguing newcomers Supreme Sha Tin go to Eastern on Friday night, as the Hong Kong Premier League campaign gets under way this weekend. It is all change again, with the championship and challenge rounds introduced last term replaced by a regular home and away calendar. We are up to 11 clubs, with Supreme promoted and 2025-26 basement dwellers Football Club given a mulligan. Six teams will begin the season under new... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3364855/hong-kong-premier-league-kitchee-fend-lee-man-and-rule-again-shock-relegation-tip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3364855/hong-kong-premier-league-kitchee-fend-lee-man-and-rule-again-shock-relegation-tip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:20:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Armed with glamorous pop-star ambassadors, a multimillionaire owner and player, and plans to mobilise their roughly 700,000-strong community, Supreme Sha Tin are an audacious new addition to the Hong Kong Premier League. Still, this being local football, very little about the club’s elevation has been straightforward. Racing to get their stadium up to snuff, they will begin their campaign housed at the rudimentary Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground; not a natural home for the glitzy live “Cantonese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3364724/pop-star-glamour-and-plans-unite-sha-tin-newcomers-shaking-hong-kong-football?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3364724/pop-star-glamour-and-plans-unite-sha-tin-newcomers-shaking-hong-kong-football?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Aston Villa were said to have had their noses knocked out of joint when they had to train at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground last week, while Liverpool were not particularly enamoured when fans could peer into the exposed venue to watch them practice 12 months ago. Moreover, the 5,000-capacity arena, dwarfed by the adjacent Kai Tak Stadium, has proved a hard sell locally, with no tenant obtained since it opened in March last year. Kitchee, the Hong Kong Premier League champions, understandably... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3364148/kowloon-city-eye-move-kai-tak-ambitions-attract-new-audience-build-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3364148/kowloon-city-eye-move-kai-tak-ambitions-attract-new-audience-build-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Local football chiefs have been dealt a hammer blow after John Morling quit his post as technical director of The Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) for a new role in the United Arab Emirates. Morling recently signed a new two-year HKFA deal, but the Englishman has now chosen to join a UAE football revolution aimed at ending the country’s four-decade wait to reach the World Cup finals. On Morling’s watch, the HKFA launched an under-22 Premier League, Hong Kong hosted its inaugural... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3363776/hong-kong-football-blow-senior-figure-quits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3363776/hong-kong-football-blow-senior-figure-quits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:07:00 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong have been handed a date with feted former head coach Jorn Andersen after the city team were drawn in the same group as Myanmar for the inaugural Fifa Asean Cup in September and October. Hosting the tournament’s second-tier as an invited team, Hong Kong will also face Brunei in Group A of the “Challenge Division”, with the table toppers booking a final against one of Cambodia, Laos and East Timor, the three teams in Group B. The group runners-up will be condemned to a third-place... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3362360/jorn-again-hong-kong-set-fifa-asean-cup-reunion-old-boss-after-myanmar-draw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3362360/jorn-again-hong-kong-set-fifa-asean-cup-reunion-old-boss-after-myanmar-draw?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2026 06:35:37 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Inigo Calderon said he refused to listen to offers to prise him away from Kitchee this summer out of loyalty to Ken Ng Kin, the owner whose gamble on appointing the head coach 12 months ago was rewarded with the club’s first league title in three years. Spaniard Calderon, who is overseeing a summer of “evolution and not revolution” in preparation for juggling local and Asian campaigns, was relegated as manager of English club Bristol Rovers two months before he secured the Kitchee post. “I have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3360230/hong-kong-giants-kitchee-plotting-evolution-not-revolution-asian-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3360230/hong-kong-giants-kitchee-plotting-evolution-not-revolution-asian-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jul 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara With a 20-year-old grudge against the Italian football team, Waseem Razeek has shed no tears over their absence from this summer’s World Cup. He “really cried” after his dream assignment as a ball boy for the 2006 final turned sour. A fanatical France supporter, despite growing up in Germany, Razeek saw his heroes beaten on penalties by Italy in Berlin. Transfixed on the ball all night, he missed the extra-time headbutt that Zinedine Zidane landed on Marco Materazzi. “I didn’t know he’d done... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3360172/world-cup-final-tears-and-trials-son-heung-min-meet-sri-lanka-star-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3360172/world-cup-final-tears-and-trials-son-heung-min-meet-sri-lanka-star-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jul 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong could be on a collision course with former head coach Jorn Andersen after the Myanmar Football Federation confirmed they would appoint the Norwegian to lead their national team “in the coming days”. In charge of Hong Kong for 2½ years until he quit to take charge of Yunnan Yukun in May 2024, Andersen arrived in Yangon on Tuesday to thrash out the final details of his contract. Myanmar are poised to compete in Division 2 of the inaugural Fifa Asean Cup, which will be staged in Hong Kong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3359819/myanmar-hope-ex-hong-kong-boss-andersen-can-turn-their-football-fortunes-around?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3359819/myanmar-hope-ex-hong-kong-boss-andersen-can-turn-their-football-fortunes-around?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:30:07 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Owner Jim Wong Chi-chuen has confirmed that Supreme Sha Tin will compete in the Hong Kong Premier League next season, after the arrest of head coach Lo Kwan-yee dragged the club’s name into the city’s latest match-fixing scandal. One of local football’s most prominent and decorated figures, Lo was among 19 people apprehended last month following an operation, jointly launched by the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Hong Kong Police Force, to “crack down on a crime syndicate... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3359417/hong-kong-football-club-supreme-not-implicated-match-fixing-and-set-premier-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3359417/hong-kong-football-club-supreme-not-implicated-match-fixing-and-set-premier-league?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jul 2026 11:00:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The Fifa World Cup is providing football fans with excitement and entertainment. Enthusiasm in Hong Kong for the competition has, however, been marred by yet another match-fixing and illegal gambling scandal involving members of the local football community. Some of the suspected illicit bets placed involved World Cup matches, but the allegations go much further. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the police made 19 arrests last week, smashing an unlawful betting syndicate.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3358996/stamp-out-corruption-so-hong-kong-football-can-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3358996/stamp-out-corruption-so-hong-kong-football-can-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jul 2026 22:45:05 +0000 Mike Chan,Paul McNamara Mike Chan,Paul McNamara Two of the 19 people reportedly arrested this week as part of a major crackdown on an illegal bookmaking ring in Hong Kong have been identified as prominent football coaches in the city. Lo Kwan-yee, head coach of local first division champions Supreme, and Poon Man-chun, coach of the under-18 and under-22 teams at local Premier League champions Kitchee and father of Hong Kong international Max Poon Pui-hin, were said to be among those linked to a group involved in match-fixing and handling... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3358599/hong-kong-football-clubs-acknowledge-arrests-linked-illegal-betting-match-fixing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3358599/hong-kong-football-clubs-acknowledge-arrests-linked-illegal-betting-match-fixing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 2026 09:30:06 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Lee Man have ended their three-month hunt for a new head coach after settling on Giancarlo Italiano as the one to lead the club “into its new chapter”. Although they did not specify the length of the Australian’s contract, Lee Man said he had been hired to “bring a new perspective to the team, while helping to enhance competitiveness on and off the pitch”. Previously in charge of Wellington Phoenix for 2½ years, Italiano quit his job with the New Zealanders in February after a 5-0 home defeat by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3357531/australian-former-wellington-phoenix-boss-lands-hong-kong-club-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3357531/australian-former-wellington-phoenix-boss-lands-hong-kong-club-post?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:00:05 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa The Fifa World Cup 2026 will be the first to be held across three countries: the US, Canada and Mexico, and the first to feature 48 teams. It will also be the most fashion-forward tournament in football history. After its TikTok- and Pinterest-fuelled peak in 2022, the football jersey-as-streetwear aesthetic championed by celebs like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber is finding fresh momentum thanks to the World Cup. Sporting giants Nike and Adidas tapped several designers and brands to create... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3356770/7-hong-kong-womens-footballers-game-fashion-and-how-two-mix?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3356770/7-hong-kong-womens-footballers-game-fashion-and-how-two-mix?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara At least the more reactionary Hong Kong supporters waited one match before turning their guns on Ashley Westwood. Roberto Losada did not get that long. “Welcome Chino,” read the local football association’s social media post on Friday, confirming the coronation of their new head coach, who is universally known by his nickname. “Not welcome” was among the kindest of a rush of negative replies, which comfortably outnumbered those wishing Losada well. “Chino out” typed multiple posters, introducing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3356359/hong-kong-football-finished-not-if-roberto-losada-given-fair-chance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3356359/hong-kong-football-finished-not-if-roberto-losada-given-fair-chance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:13 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s football fans have much to look forward to this summer, from the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada to the city’s hosting of top clubs from England, Italy and Germany. But amid all the excitement about games featuring the sport’s top players, there is a need to ensure local football is supported and developed. The domestic season ended on May 30, with Tai Po beating Eastern District in the FA Cup final, following Kitchee’s winning of the Premier League. There have been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3356081/harness-world-cup-fever-grow-hong-kong-football?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3356081/harness-world-cup-fever-grow-hong-kong-football?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jun 2026 23:15:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The welcome shock of being asked to captain Hong Kong on Friday has reignited Yue Tze-nam’s belief that he could one day fulfil his goal of playing in Europe. A self-confessed “introverted guy”, Yue was handed the “big responsibility” of wearing the armband for Roberto Losada’s first match as permanent boss, a scruffy 2-0 win over Mongolia at Hong Kong Stadium. Consistently one of the city team’s most accomplished players, the 28-year-old right-back trialled with Swansea City during three years... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3356197/hong-kong-captaincy-fires-beijing-guoan-star-yue-tze-nams-belief-fulfilling-european-goal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3356197/hong-kong-captaincy-fires-beijing-guoan-star-yue-tze-nams-belief-fulfilling-european-goal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jun 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Six months after they launched their hunt for a Hong Kong boss with “a global vision and professional competence”, the local football association decided the best man for the job was under their noses all along. A “happy and very proud” Roberto Losada, in interim charge for the past six months, was on Friday named permanent head coach, albeit he was unsure over the length of his contract. Around eight hours after Losada’s official coronation, Juninho’s fifth-minute strike, coupled with a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3356067/hong-kong-appoint-roberto-losada-head-coach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3356067/hong-kong-appoint-roberto-losada-head-coach?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:47:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara After joining mighty Shanghai Port this year, Matt Orr has discovered an “intense and ruthless environment” and a city where “the temptation tests you”. Hoping to return from the hamstring injuries that have recently dogged him for Hong Kong’s clash with Mongolia on Friday, Orr had been on the verge of renewing terms with Shenzhen Peng City in January when the reigning Chinese Super League champions swooped. “It was a huge opportunity and I’m super privileged and grateful it came,” Orr said.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355688/matt-orr-hopes-use-ruthless-shanghai-experience-help-hong-kongs-new-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355688/matt-orr-hopes-use-ruthless-shanghai-experience-help-hong-kongs-new-project?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara He learned during six years in the United States to “enjoy life every day”, but Marco Wong Hin-sum had his joie de vivre tested during a period this season when he questioned whether he had a future in football. Excellent in Tai Po’s FA Cup final victory over Eastern District on Saturday, Wong barely figured for the opening 8½ months of his first season back in Hong Kong after completing his university studies in New York. A Tai Po native and “big fan” of the district club, Wong reached his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355550/passion-and-fun-us-helped-change-mindset-hong-kong-footballer-who-refused-quit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355550/passion-and-fun-us-helped-change-mindset-hong-kong-footballer-who-refused-quit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada has pledged to ignore the uncertainty around his future and deliver a “hungrier and more dynamic” Hong Kong team when they host Mongolia on Friday. It appeared that Losada’s coronation was imminent when the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) last week said they would stage a press conference this Tuesday to confirm their new head coach. However, the governing body quickly backtracked, postponing the briefing to an unconfirmed later date. In interim charge for the past... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355546/roberto-losada-unfazed-hong-kong-job-waiting-game-promises-more-dynamic-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355546/roberto-losada-unfazed-hong-kong-job-waiting-game-promises-more-dynamic-team?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:16:22 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Tai Po head coach Lee Chi-kin said he would like to explore opportunities overseas after his team staved off a late Eastern District fightback in their 2-1 FA Cup final success on Saturday. Lee’s side could have been out of sight by half-time but had to settle for a 2-0 lead following a pair of goals from Philip Chan Siu-kwan. Timid and defensive before the break, Eastern District were hugely improved after the restart, and a late penalty from Valentino Yuel left Tai Po to navigate 10 nervous... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355420/hong-kong-fa-cup-tai-po-boss-open-new-opportunities-after-final-victory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355420/hong-kong-fa-cup-tai-po-boss-open-new-opportunities-after-final-victory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong court has jailed two footballers and a betting agent for up to 17 months in the city’s largest match-fixing scandal in recent years, ruling that they deliberately undermined the integrity of the sport. Former Hong Kong Under-23 player Brian Fok, Brazilian player Luciano Silva da Silva and betting agent Waheed Mohammad returned to West Kowloon Court on Friday to be sentenced on five charges arising from a high-profile crackdown that saw 23 people arrested on suspicion of illegal... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3355363/2-footballers-bookie-jailed-17-months-hong-kong-match-fixing-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3355363/2-footballers-bookie-jailed-17-months-hong-kong-match-fixing-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 13:36:21 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Lee Chi-kin has been presented with one of the biggest dilemmas of his long managerial career ahead of Tai Po’s FA Cup final date with Eastern District on Saturday. Already without two outgoing attackers, James Temelkovski and Lucas Silva, who have both left Hong Kong, Lee is considering whether to pick influential winger Michel Renner, who is expected to join his final opponents this summer. The Cup winners will play AFC Champions League Two football next season. With more Tai Po players... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355058/hong-kong-fa-cup-final-dilemma-tai-po-boss-key-players-set-join-opponents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3355058/hong-kong-fa-cup-final-dilemma-tai-po-boss-key-players-set-join-opponents?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara As he watched the 2024 HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens nursing the leg he had badly broken a fortnight earlier, Dominic Johns did not know his next two years would be blighted by “a pretty big mental struggle”. A nippy, resourceful forward for Football Club, Johns had unsuccessful surgery after a tackle from North District’s Ho Chun-ho snapped the tibia and fibula bones in his right leg. Following a second procedure to remove a metal rod and investigate other issues, the Australian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3354549/hong-kong-soccer-sevens-beckons-excited-local-star-after-2-years-mental-anguish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3354549/hong-kong-soccer-sevens-beckons-excited-local-star-after-2-years-mental-anguish?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Managing the worst team in Hong Kong’s top flight has cost Football Club coach Chancy Cooke his job, but whoever takes over may still find themselves in the Premier League next season. City officials are expected to give the team a pass when they meet this month, again rescuing a side that for the second straight season won only three matches and finished bottom on 11 points. The Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) reintroduced promotion and relegation this season, and First Division... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3353873/worst-team-hong-kong-footballs-top-flight-could-still-avoid-drop-boss-gets-sack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3353873/worst-team-hong-kong-footballs-top-flight-could-still-avoid-drop-boss-gets-sack?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong’s finest young player and his best friend, who acknowledges he has not capitalised on his own prodigious talent, have joined forces to unearth the city’s next generation of football stars. Shinichi Chan, who has 35 international caps, and the ex-Kitchee forward, Bosley Yu Yang, have sunk their own cash into opening La Veritas Academy, which is designed to find and develop a succession of technically gifted footballers capable of playing overseas. A fixture for Chinese Super League... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3353298/hong-kong-and-shanghai-shenhua-star-shinichi-chan-mission-unearth-city-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3353298/hong-kong-and-shanghai-shenhua-star-shinichi-chan-mission-unearth-city-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Roberto Losada will be in charge of two Hong Kong friendlies next month, “for sure”, but the interim head coach is in the dark over whether he will be handed the job full time. The city team have been without a boss since Ashley Westwood left last November following a failed 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign. Formerly manager of Hong Kong Premier League club Eastern, Losada took charge for friendly matches over the three months after Westwood’s exit, and was at the helm for the final Asian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3353167/interim-hong-kong-boss-losadas-long-term-future-air-take-charge-friendlies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3353167/interim-hong-kong-boss-losadas-long-term-future-air-take-charge-friendlies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Manu Torres has played down the acrimonious departure of defender Dani Almazan and more imminent high-profile exits from Eastern, saying change is “pain in the process” of his quest to develop an all-conquering team. Announcing his contract was not being renewed after three years at the club, popular centre-half Almazan posted on Instagram that “some people had made it their mission to break apart … a real family in the changing room”. He also omitted head coach Torres from a list of six coaches... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3353024/eastern-boss-plotting-hong-kong-domination-acrimonious-exits-pain-process-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3353024/eastern-boss-plotting-hong-kong-domination-acrimonious-exits-pain-process-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 04:21:36 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li A Hong Kong court has convicted two footballers and a betting agent of bribing fellow players to rig game outcomes in the city’s largest match-fixing case in recent years. Former Hong Kong Under-23 player Brian Fok was convicted on Friday of five charges, including three counts of offering an advantage to an agent in violation of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. The 32-year-old Nigerian-born defender, together with fellow player Luciano Silva da Silva, 38, and betting agent Waheed Mohammad,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352949/3-convicted-hong-kongs-largest-football-match-fixing-scandal-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352949/3-convicted-hong-kongs-largest-football-match-fixing-scandal-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 13:48:48 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong football could be in line for a windfall of nearly US$500,000 after more details emerged on Thursday about this year’s inaugural Fifa Asean Cup. As previously reported, Hong Kong is expected to stage Division 2 of the tournament, which will feature six teams. The top tier appears set to swell to eight sides after China and India, the world’s two most populous nations, were apparently invited to compete in a naked attempt to escalate interest in an otherwise parochial event. There has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3352702/hong-kong-football-poised-huge-fifa-asean-cup-windfall-china-and-india-set-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3352702/hong-kong-football-poised-huge-fifa-asean-cup-windfall-china-and-india-set-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 05:01:05 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara One of Hong Kong’s most successful and enduring footballers, Helio Goncalves, believes the city’s under-22 league is delivering “huge experiences” for emerging players, but he acknowledged “it would be great to play more on grass”. A six-times local Premier League champion during 11 years with Kitchee, Goncalves has this season combined being the cornerstone of Eastern District’s miserly defence with managing the club’s under-22 team in the league that was launched last term. On Monday, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3352570/hong-kong-football-legends-backing-u22-league-pleads-more-games-grass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3352570/hong-kong-football-legends-backing-u22-league-pleads-more-games-grass?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 05:00:06 +0000