Fifa World Cup qualifiers: Hong Kong make their point in Turkmenistan after 19-hour trek
- Stand-in coach Wolfgang Luisser puts onus on attack in final qualifying match, but team record a defensive landmark in Ashgabat
Hong Kong claimed a point from their final Fifa World Cup qualifier following a stalemate with Turkmenistan in steamy Ashgabat on Tuesday night.
The scoreless draw was enough for the hosts to stay off the bottom of Group E, owing to their marginally superior goal difference over Hong Kong.
Wolfgang Luisser, the interim head coach, gave a first senior international start to forward Anson Wong Ho-chun, while there was a return to the starting 11 for Yu Wai-lim, two years after the Lee Man centre-back last began a game for Hong Kong.
Luisser, who was thrust into his temporary post after the resignation of Jorn Andersen last month, was faithful to his pre-match promise of going all out for victory.
Striker Michael Udebuluzor replaced Juninho for the second 45 minutes, and midfielder Philip Chan Siu-kwan gave way to attacker Poon Pui-hin shortly after the restart.
There was no way through a stubborn home rearguard on Ashgabat Stadium’s artificial surface, nonetheless. Hong Kong remained watertight at the back, however, to record a first clean sheet in 11 competitive fixtures.
The disciplined performance in Turkmenistan, following a 19-hour journey and preparation on an inadequate training pitch provided by the hosts, will have further impressed those choosing Hong Kong’s next boss.
Luisser oversaw an energetic, courageous performance in a 4-2 defeat by Iran last Thursday, and the Austrian has given a handful of promising youngsters their first tastes of international football.
Wong’s appearance came after debuts last week for Timmy Ma Hei-wai, 20, and the more senior Leon Jones, while 18-year-old Anthony Pinto came off the bench to score against Iran.
Hong Kong finished locked together with Turkmenistan on two points. The teams drew both their head-to-head fixtures, and both lost home and away to Iran and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan, 14 positions above 157th-placed Hong Kong in the global Fifa rankings, conceded one fewer goal.
