Hong Kong fans want Westwood sacked, while sports minister questions coach’s tactics
Supporters take to social media to vent frustration at city’s head coach Ashley Westwood after Asian Cup qualifying loss at home to Singapore
Hong Kong football fans continued to vent their anger at head coach Ashley Westwood on Wednesday after the team’s disappointing loss to Singapore, and even the city’s sports minister weighed in, expressing reservations over the boss’ tactics.
Almost 24 hours after the 2-1 defeat at Kai Tak Stadium ended any hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, angry fans swamped the Football Association of Hong Kong, China’s social media platforms, calling for the Englishman to be sacked.
Chief among their complaints was the failure to use his substitutes before what many considered to be too late, and leaving Philip Chan Siu-kwan and the creative duo Wong Wai and Jesse Yu Joy-yin on the bench.
“Everything qualified, except Westwood,” commented one social media user, while hundreds more chanted “Westwood out” with multiple exclamation points under some of the association’s post-game content.
A disappointed Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, added her voice to the discontent, expressing surprise at some of Westwood’s decisions.
Law posted on various social media on Wednesday after a night of being in “no mood to comment much apart from sharing my grief with football fans at the scene”.