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Paul McNamara

Hong Kong football chiefs are under pressure to avoid squandering the legacy of former head coach Jorn Andersen, after the city team’s World Cup campaign ended with a scoreless draw in Turkmenistan on Tuesday.
Wolfgang Luisser, the interim head coach, said he was “happy and proud” with a hard-fought clean sheet – Hong Kong’s first in 11 competitive matches.
The Austrian acknowledged mixed feelings over a respectable result, however, given that the point condemned Hong Kong to bottom spot in their group.
“We knew from the beginning that Iran and Uzbekistan would compete for first place, and we would play for third,” Luisser said.
Andersen, who resigned a fortnight ago, nevertheless rewrote what was possible for Hong Kong during his two-and-a-half years in charge.
The stand-out achievement, among a healthy field, was reaching this year’s AFC Asian Cup finals, 56 years after Hong Kong’s last major tournament appearance.

Nine months from the start of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong have no permanent head coach. The Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA), meanwhile, fired CEO Joaquin Tam last month.
Disconcertingly, stand-in Charles Cheung Yim-yau said the organisation had no succession plan in place after Andersen’s exit, pleading they had been caught off guard by the Norwegian’s decision to leave for China League One side Yunnan Yukun.
After being hurried into the top job, Luisser could not have done more to prove his credentials for the permanent position.
HKFA might have benefited from a stroke of fortune amid Andersen’s departure. There has been no indication whether Andersen hoped to take Luisser, but the option never existed, because Yunnan wanted the 61-year-old to have a Mandarin-speaking assistant.
Former Hong Kong coach Ben Cheung Yick-ming accompanied Andersen to the mainland.
Luisser, who felt blindsided by the unexpected addition of Roberto Losada, the Eastern head coach, to his backroom staff, was his own man during two weeks in charge. He had the courage to tweak Andersen’s uncompromising, aggressive style, and invested enormous faith in young players.
Full debuts for Timmy Ma Hei-wai, 20, Anson Wong Ho-chung, 22, and Leon Jones, the 26-year-old centre-back, in addition to a first appearance off the bench for 18-year-old Anthony Pinto and the reintegration of defender Yu Wai-lim, 25, deepened Hong Kong’s playing pool.
Players’ positive public comments about Luisser are supported by off-the-record briefings.
One told the Post: “The way we do some things [under Luisser] is different, but it is good. Everyone is on board.”
The position of John Morling, the former academy head of English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, as HKFA technical director inspires some confidence over a “football person” being prominent in the search for Andersen’s successor.
Whether it is Luisser, or another candidate, the local association cannot afford a misstep. They have failed to capitalise on the groundswell of support for the team following their Asian Cup exploits.

There was a television blackout for the game in Turkmenistan, which meant only the hardy band who travelled to Central Asia would have been able to witness a first World Cup away win for Hong Kong since 2015. Equally, no television deal was arranged for the November qualifier in Iran.
“Don’t schedule a live broadcast, but call for support,” one disgruntled supporter wrote on the FA’s Facebook page this week.
Almost 10,000 showed up, creating a tremendous atmosphere, for last week’s home meeting with Iran, when the recent upheaval, coupled with more match-fixing allegations around the local league, could conceivably have prompted a stay-away.
It would be unwise to take either the scale or intensity of that support for granted. Hong Kong are next in action when they play a pair of friendlies in September.
Preparation for the beginning of Asian Cup qualifying next March should already be well under way inside the Hong Kong FA’s timeworn Kowloon office.
The FA must identify the right replacement for Andersen, recruit a first-rate CEO, and make sure fans can watch their team, or risk the past few years being reduced to one magical moment in time.


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AFC Champions League Two: Eastern to rest players v Sydney with Senior Shield semi looming

Hong Kong ace praises Manchester United’s Harry Maguire after suffering heavy criticism

The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

World Cup: Hong Kong football chiefs face crunch calls to avoid wasting Jorn Andersen legacy

Only the Hong Kong fans who travelled to Turkmenistan were able to watch the match live. Photo: HKFA

Wolfgang Luisser impressed during a fortnight in charge of Hong Kong following the resignation of Jorn Andersen. Photo: HKFA

Hong Kong midfielder Philip Chan talking with the referee during the game against Turkmenistan. Photo: HKFA

Hong Kong interim football coach Wolfgang Luisser laments ‘not good’ match-fixing news, surprised Losada added to staff

Roberto Losada joined the Hong Kong representative team staff this week. Photo: Eastern FC

Eric Fok broke the news of Roberto Losada’s appointment at Saturday’s FA Cup final. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Hong Kong will play on home soil for the first time since a World Cup loss to Uzbekistan in March. Photo: Elson Li

Fifa World Cup qualifiers: Hong Kong make their point in Turkmenistan after 19-hour trek

Hong Kong (red), pictured in last year’s home clash with Turkmenistan, endured a lengthy journey for the return match. Photo: Elson Li

Michael Udebuluzor fends off Philip Chan as Hong Kong train before their match in Turkmenistan. Photo: Handout

World Cup: Hong Kong coach Luisser blasts training facilities ahead of Turkmenistan clash

With temperatures climbing above 40 degrees, Hong Kong’s players are leaving their hotel only for training sessions. Photo: HKFA

Austrian Luisser took temporary charge following the resignation of Jorn Andersen last month. Photo: HKFA

Michael Udebuluzor fends off Philip Chan, as Hong Kong prepare for their meeting with Turkmenistan. Photo: HKFA

Luisser is aiming to maintain high spirits among his Hong Kong squad in boiling Ashgabat. Photo: HKFA

Hong Kong talent hailed after coach’s positive job audition – but why was VAR not used?

Hong Kong’s Philip Chan Siu-kwan appeals to the referee on a night when officialdom did not favour the hosts. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong ran higher-ranked Iran close for a second time in six months. Photo: Sam Tsang

Taremi, who scored a hat-trick on Thursday, anticipated a bright future for Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

Sport

Football

Hong Kong completed their World Cup qualifiers with a 0-0 draw in Turkmenistan, next play in September Fifa window


Hong Kong could have a new boss at the helm for pair of September friendlies as they build towards Asian Cup qualifiers next year.


Fifa World Cup 2026

Uzbekistan