Advertisement

Rangers query FA ‘secrecy’ as player is banned for a year over Covid-19 breach during drunken hotel saga

  • Goalkeeper Lo Siu-kei did commit breach but had little part in alleged drinking and vandalism on under-23 trip, club says after he is banned from internationals
  • Club calls on FA to ‘release all details of their investigation’ into the incident, for which 12 other players have received international bans

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
Hong Kong Rangers goalkeeper Lo Siu-kei has received an international ban for an incident last October. Photo: Felix Wong

Hong Kong Rangers have called for greater transparency from the city’s FA after it banned goalkeeper Lo Siu-kei from international football for a year over a breach of Covid-19 rules in Japan.

Advertisement
The 20-year-old was found by the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) to have broken Covid-19 protocol while in Japan for an Asian U23 Championship qualifier last October. Eleven other players had previously been handed one-year bans over the incident, in which they were accused of vandalising hotel rooms while drinking.

Lo’s ban prompted Rangers to issue a lengthy statement calling on the FA disciplinary committee to end the “secrecy” surrounding events during the under-23 trip, and “release all details of their investigation”.

Lee Man’s 22-year-old midfielder Chang Hei-yi also received a year-long ban from internationals on Saturday in relation to the same incident.

Rangers said Lo had broken Covid-19 protocol, but backed his claim to have had little involvement in the other misdemeanours.

The Hong Kong team before their AFC U23 Championship qualifier against Japan last year. Photo: HKFA
The Hong Kong team before their AFC U23 Championship qualifier against Japan last year. Photo: HKFA

“According to the player, he had heard loud noises coming from a nearby hotel room and went in to check on his teammates out of concern,” the Rangers statement read.

Advertisement