Al-Ahli land in Hong Kong, completing Saudi quartet for Super Cup
Fourth team in competition land in city, as Cristiano Ronaldo and teammates continue to train ahead of semi-final
Al-Ahli, the last of the Saudi Super Cup teams landed in Hong Kong on Sunday and will stay at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Wan Chai, where they were greeted by over 50 fans.
The fans, mostly men between the ages of 20 and 40, had come to catch a glimpse of former Premier League footballers Riyad Mahrez, Ivan Toney and Edouard Mendy.
John Kulpakdeesinghworn, 41, travelled to Hong Kong from Thailand to see former Leicester City winger Mahrez. The country has a strong Leicester following, as the club is owned by King Power International Group, a Thai company founded by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
“I will stay until the 20th, I’ve got tickets for the semi-final [against Al-Qadsiah] and I’m staying in the Regent Hotel, where [Cristiano] Ronaldo is,” he said. “The fans there are terrible, everyone is trying to chase, it’s too crazy.
“I don’t want him in [the hotel] now, Mahrez is better. Cristiano is humble – he signed a lot yesterday, but the people are too crazy.”
Ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy may be a continental champion in both Europe and Asia, but his accuracy when signing autographs for fans still needs some improvement.