Cover The Hong Kong team is gearing up for a historic football match with Inter Miami CF (Photo: Zed Leets / Tatler Hong Kong)
The Hong Kong team is gearing up for a historic football match with Inter Miami CF (Photo: Zed Leets / Tatler Hong Kong)
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Inter Miami CF will line up against a high-quality select XI of local Hong Kong stars, many of whom represent the city in international games, who share their excitement for the match on February 4
The Hong Kong football team have been making a splash of late.
In January, they beat the China team for the first time in almost three decades, gaining a 2-1 victory in a friendly in Abu Dhabi. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in October, they beat Palestine and Iran, reaching the semi-finals; they ultimately placed fourth out of the 21 men’s teams that participated. This was a first, and a new high, for Hong Kong men’s football—before this, their best performance at the games was back in 1958, when they reached the quarterfinals.
The historic achievement marks a reversal of fortune for the team in a remarkably short period of time: just a month before the Asian Games, they had lost 0-10 to Uzbekistan. The team’s growth and success are attributed to the efforts of its head coach Jørn Andersen, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Hong Kong Football Association in mid-2023; he will also lead the team in the February match against Inter Miami. At the time of writing, the team are preparing for the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Asian Cup 2023—the first time the Hong Kong men’s have made the finals since 1968.
Above Jørn Andersen (Photo: Zed Leets / Tatler Hong Kong)
Jørn Andersen (Photo: Zed Leets / Tatler Hong Kong)
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But, whatever international football they might have played, for many of them, the Inter Miami game represents the opportunity of a lifetime. For some, like Shinichi Chan, who will turn out on the left for the local XI, playing a team of Inter Miami’s calibre is an unexpected opportunity.
“I’m really looking forward to playing against Inter Miami and all these football stars. I’m really surprised too—because I never thought I would be able to play against Inter Miami, and with so many international stars too. I’m keeping calm, and I’m really looking forward to the match. It’s going to be a show, and also, I’m able to play with my childhood football heroes.”
Chan is unusual among the players in the Best of Hong Kong Soccer 11, in that he’s played in the Spanish league, where Messi made his name. These days he’s a regular for Kitchee, the Hong Kong Premier League’s dominant club in recent years, but he also turned out on loan during the first half of 2023 for Basque Country-based side Real Unión. That club, though, plays in the Primera Federación, the third tier of Spanish football. Messi and co are a whole different proposition.
Above Tse Ka Wing (Photo: Zed Leets / Tatler Hong Kong)
Tse Ka Wing (Photo: Zed Leets / Tatler Hong Kong)
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“To be able to play with Lionel Messi—I never thought this could happen,” he says. “I’m also a Barcelona fan, so to be able to play with Jordi Alba is also exciting.”
For his midfield teammate Wong Wai, who plays for Hong Kong Premier League club Lee Man, the game is a second bite at the cherry. Wong has played for Hong Kong since 2013, but he was an unused substitute when Argentina visited Hong Kong in 2014.
“When Messi visited Hong Kong, I didn’t have the opportunity to be on the field,” he says. “This is a second and invaluable chance for me to play against him. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity.”
Midfielder Tan Chun Lok, also a Hong Kong national side regular, similarly missed out in 2014.
“I am really excited to have the opportunity to play against Messi. When he last visited, I had a leg injury and couldn’t play. Being able to play against him while he is still active in his career is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m sure it will become a memory to cherish for life,” he says.
Above Tan Chun Lok (Photo: Zed Leets / Tatler Hong Kong)
Tan Chun Lok (Photo: Zed Leets / Tatler Hong Kong)
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Tan plays for Kitchee, but formerly spent several years with Chinese Super League club Guangzhou City, where he had the chance to play against some top international talent, including Shandong Taishan’s Belgian international Marouane Fellaini and Guangzhou Evergrande’s Brazilian star Paulinho, who he describes as the strongest player he’s faced—till now, at least.
“These are players who have played in the World Cup—learning from their skills and witnessing their humility was invaluable,” he says.
The long-term aspiration among the players is that the game, by giving local players a moment in the sun, will also turn more of a spotlight on their exploits.
“I hope that football fans, aside from coming to see Messi in action, can also support the Hong Kong team,” says Chan.
