Hong Kong’s hat-trick hero Merkies vows to make Bangladesh pay after match ball snub

Raphael Merkies fired a warning shot at Bangladesh on Sunday, vowing to make them pay double after they refused to hand over the match ball following his hat-trick heroics in Dhaka.

The Hong Kong winger’s dramatic late winner sealed a 4-3 win for Ashley Westwood’s side in their Asian Cup qualifier last week, and the two Group C rivals will resume hostilities on Tuesday in the reverse fixture.

Victory at Kai Tak Stadium would leave the home side one win from qualifying for the finals in Saudi Arabia in 2027, and Merkies said Bangladesh’s behaviour had given him “extra motivation” to make that happen.

“I tried to ask for the ball but they weren’t willing to give it to me,” Merkies said. “I also went to the ball boys, but no one wanted to hand it over.”

Merkies, who played only the second half on Thursday, said “ice baths, swimming, stretching and mobility exercises” had prompted a speedy recovery after he barely slept on the flight home.

“It was a crazy night, but the job is only half done and we need to refocus, because this game is just as important,” he added.