East Asian Football Championship: Hong Kong boss Westwood out ‘to make history’ against China
City team looking for first competitive victory over mainlanders since the 1985 Beijing World Cup upset
Ashley Westwood said Hong Kong wanted “to make history” when they tackle China in Seoul on Tuesday.
The city team last beat their mainland rivals in a competitive fixture 40 years ago, while they have lost all four previous East Asian Football Championship clashes between the teams by an aggregate score of 8-1.
Hong Kong have already lost their opening two matches in South Korea, after arriving at the tournament on a 10-match unbeaten run, but supporters have long identified the closing fixture as a golden opportunity for their side to exploit vulnerable opponents.
“We want to make history, but anyone who knows anything about me knows I want to win every game I play … whether it’s China, Chinese Taipei, Brazil, France, or England, I don’t care,” Westwood said.
“I understand that the fans want and need to win, but I’m always like that.”
Hong Kong won a friendly against China last year, for only their third success in 23 meetings.