Midfielder Chan explains how ambitious Hong Kong are ‘building a new image’
Hong Kong face ‘physical’ Fiji in Lautoka aiming for second straight victory and tri-nations tournament success
Hong Kong player of the year Philip Chan Siu-kwan says an emerging core of young talent is “building a new image for Hong Kong football”.
Chan, who is poised to return to the Hong Kong team for Sunday’s meeting with Fiji, sat out the 3-0 victory over Solomon Islands on Thursday, when 18-year-olds Timothy Chow and Ng Yu-hei were handed debuts.
Ng Wai-him, the 22-year-old Southern keeper, also made his first senior representative team appearance, while Timmy Ma Hei-wai, 20, and 18-year-old Anthony Pinto earned debut caps in June.
The Hong Kong starting 11 against Solomon Islands in Suva boasted an average age of 25.7 and featured only two players older than 28.
“I think the new players are all talents and it’s rare to see such a situation [so many youngsters coming through together],” midfielder Chan told the Post.
“They appear to me to understand the game and have already shown a lot of potential in building a new image for Hong Kong football. New talent is a necessity – it makes older players want to show more of an example, and puts a certain amount of pressure on the rest of the team to lift standards.”
