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Paul McNamara

Tse Ka-wing has called on Tai Po to give Hong Kong football a timely boost when they go to Macarthur in Sydney for a vital AFC Champions League Two clash on Thursday afternoon.
The local champions would leapfrog the table-topping Australians with a victory, but defeat could potentially spell the end of their hopes for progress.
Faced with a similar Asian Cup qualifying scenario last week, Hong Kong lost to Singapore, who reached the 2027 finals at their expense.
“If we do well, it won’t only be Tai Po fans who are happy, it’ll be all Hong Kong fans,” Tai Po goalkeeper Tse said.

“We can’t say we are top level, but we can show people that Hong Kong teams can be competitive and not easy to beat. I want the environment and atmosphere of Hong Kong football to get better every day.”
Tai Po’s group is intriguingly poised, with only three points separating the bottom-placed Hong Kong side and Macarthur. Cong An Hanoi and Beijing Guoan, who also meet on Thursday, both have a one-point advantage over Tai Po.
“It’s a final for us,” Tse said. “If we lose, we’re close to out, but if we gain points we’re still alive with a home game to come.”
Tai Po have claimed four points from two home matches, including an opening-day victory over Macarthur, but returned home empty-handed from both away trips. Their closing game is next month against Cong An Hanoi at Mong Kok Stadium.
Asked about the challenge of competing on foreign soil, Tse said: “Oh my God, the level is so high … playing away is totally another story. The opponents are difficult in Hong Kong, but when we go to them they know the pitch and the stadium, and the atmosphere is different.”
Lee Chi-kin, the Tai Po boss, echoed Tse’s thoughts on the task of trying to get results outside Hong Kong.
“It is totally different,” he said, explaining that his voice had begun faltering within 10 minutes of trying to make himself heard over Beijing Guoan fans during a 3-0 loss three weeks ago.
“We are learning from those experiences,” said Lee, adding that it was a tall order to compete with teams whose “crazy investment is 40 times more than ours”.
Against Eastern District on Saturday, Lee stuck to his pre-match plan of substituting key performers Igor Sartori, Michel Renner, Philip Chan Siu-kwan and Law Chun-ting, despite Tai Po nursing a slender 1-0 lead. The vital attacking pair of Patrick Valverde and James Temelkovski featured only from the bench.
Competing on five fronts, Lee said he was routinely not planning for 90 minutes – “I plan for the next 270”.
“We want to fight for everything. We’re champions and we can’t give up, but how we do it is the problem,” Lee said.
“In Australia we have to go at it 200 per cent to try to take our chance [to advance].”
Chan said that returning to the Tai Po fold at the weekend, after he had to watch the Hong Kong disappointment from the bench, had been “like coming home”.
“We have equally big missions here,” he said. “The Macarthur game is really important … whether we progress or not, we’ll compete properly. We want to set up a big atmosphere for the next home game, and we’ll fight for all the people watching us.”
Chan also said a more competitive local Premier League was aiding Tai Po in continental action.
“We like the challenge; we have to fight hard and compete in every game,” he said. “You don’t want teams winning 5-0 all the time.”


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The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

As Hong Kong football licks its wounds, Tse wants Tai Po to lift city in AFC tie

Tai Po goalkeeper Tse Ka-wing in action against Eastern District on Saturday. Photo: Eugene Lee

Tai Po boss Lee Chi-kin said it was a tall order to compete with their big-spending rivals. Photo: Dickson Lee

Title-winning boss eyes Hong Kong job, keeper hits back at Westwood as saga rumbles on

Tse Ka-wing recorded a clean sheet on his return to action for Tai Po against Eastern District. Photo: Eugene Lee

Philip Chan fixes his eyes on the ball during Tai Po’s tight victory over Eastern District. Photo: Eugene Lee

Tse, here issuing instructions against Eastern District on Saturday, wanted to face Singapore. Photo: Eugene Lee

Singapore minister apologises to Hong Kong government after football ‘idiots’ insult

David Neo addresses a jubilant Singapore dressing room after their win over Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

 Ilhan Fandi is congratulated by Ikhsan Fandi following his winning strike. Photo: Xinhua

Sport

Football

After Hong Kong’s loss to Singapore, another do-or-die game sees Tai Po travel to Sydney for Asian Champions League clash with Macarthur


After Hong Kong’s loss to Singapore, another do-or-die game sees Tai Po travel to Sydney for Asian Champions League clash with Macarthur.


Lee Chi-kin

As Hong Kong football licks its wounds, Tse wants Tai Po to lift city in AFC tie

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}After Hong Kong’s loss to Singapore, another do-or-die game sees Tai Po travel to Sydney for Asian Champions League clash with Macarthur

After Hong Kong’s loss to Singapore, another do-or-die game sees Tai Po travel to Sydney for Asian Champions League clash with Macarthur