Players and staff have to follow a strict hygiene and health regime since early September. (PHOTO COURTESY OF EASTERN)
It was on March 22, 2020, when the city witnessed its last local football game. Back then R&F celebrated a late victory over Tai Po in the semi-final of the FA Cup. Six months later the “beautiful game” is set to make its comeback, however, not as we used to know it.
First, out of the previously ten teams in the Hong Kong Premier League, only six of them agreed to finish the 2019/20 season – among them R&F, Lee Man, Kitchee, Southern, Eastern, and Happy Valley. The remaining four, with reigning champions Tai Po, Yuen Long, Pegasus, and Rangers, have officially withdrawn. This means, with now just six teams in the competition, the league table also had to be adjusted accordingly, annulling all results between the remaining clubs and the ones that have resigned. Following these amendments, the season appears to end in a tight photo finish, as five clubs have still realistic chances to win the championship. The top three – R&F, Lee Man, and Kitchee – are all on ten points, with R&F still claiming the top spot due to their better head-to-head record. Meanwhile, Eastern are just one point behind, followed by Southern, who are on seven points. Happy Valley are at the bottom after their points tally was erased entirely. However, regardless the outcome, they will be safe from relegation this year.
Among the six teams, most of them still have five rounds to play, except for Lee Man and Eastern who have only four games left.
After a lengthy negotiation, the government had previously allowed clubs to resume their training in early September, with special arrangements being made at the Kitchee Training Centre in Shek Mun, the Football Training Centre in Tseung Kwan O, as well as Aberdeen Sports Ground, and Kowloon Bay Park. The start of the new season was also subject to a strict hygiene regime to be implemented by the HKFA as well as negative Covid-19 tests of all staff and players.
The season will now resume on Sept 19. Between then and 11 October, the HKFA scheduled 14 league games and three cup finals. The Senior Shield will be decided on 2 October with Eastern and Lee Man locking horns that day. Sapling Cup and FA Cup are set for Sept 28 and 29 respectively, with Southern challenging Kitchee in the first, and Eastern taking on R&F in the latter. Despite all the promising action on the pitch, and the loosening of social distancing regulation across the city, games will be played behind closed doors. The approved venues for this purpose include Hong Kong Stadium, Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, and Mong Kok Stadium. To ensure fan engagement, all games will be broadcast live via an online stream.
One question that has yet to be fully resolved is the eligibility of players who changed their clubs over the last few months. Fernando has left Kitchee for Eastern, and midfielder Jared Lum joined R&F – though it is unlikely that they would be allowed to play in the coming games and may need to wait for the 2020/21 season, which is expected to start slightly delayed in November this year. Local football fans will also miss three familiar faces, with Chan Siu-ki, Chan Wai-ho, and Li Hon-ho all announcing their retirement in recent months. 35-year-old Chan Siu-ki, who spent most of his career at South China, is still Hong Kong’s all-time top scorer with 37 goals during his international career. Meanwhile, another long-standing Hong Kong player has returned to his first club: Lam Ka-wai will join Rangers for the coming season, where he started his career nearly 18 years ago. The midfielder just finished his contract with R&F.
Eastern are using the HKFA Centre in Tseung Kwan O as their training ground. (PHOTO COURTESY OF EASTERN)
EASTERN vs KITCHEE, Premier League, Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Sept 19, 3 pm
The Premier League returns with a bang, when archrivals Eastern and Kitchee face each other on Saturday. Given the tight table and the limited number of games, every match must be treated as a six pointer, as any dropped point could mean the difference in the end. There was still some uncertainty about the schedule, as the Asian Football Confederation was considering to restart the AFC Cup, but due to the unstable situation and limited mobilities, the competition was finally cancelled, allowing Kitchee to fully focus on winning the local championship instead.
R&F vs SOUTHERN, Premier League, Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Sept 20, 3 pm
On Sunday afternoon, league leaders R&F will take on Southern. The Guangzhou team has moved their operations completely to Hong Kong earlier this year due to the pandemic. Managed by Yeung Ching-kwong, the club still has great ambitions for this season, making several promising signings, including local defender Tsui Wang-kit who joined the team from Meizhou Hakka. R&F have also just received confirmation that they would be eligible to participate in regional tournaments in the future, such as the Asian Champions League or the AFC Cup, provided that their sister club in the Chinese Super League does not qualify as well. Meanwhile, Southern are going to play their first match under former Fulham defender and neo-coach Zesh Rehman, who took over the team from Ricky Cheng earlier this year. However, the Aberdeeners have lost some of their key players, including Travis Major, Dhiego Martins, and Shay Spitz.
Happ Valley prepare for the restart of the Premier League in Kowloon Bay Park. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HAPPY VALLEY)
LEE MAN vs HAPPY VALLEY, Premier League, Hong Kong Stadium, Sept 21, 3 pm
Lee Man and Happy Valley will bring the first round of the comeback to an end. The Greens seem just to be in for the fun of it and as preparation for the 2020/21 season. However, for Lee Man there is still a lot at stake and the underdogs may have good chances for some major surprises. Chan Hiu-ming’s side are also in the Senior Shield final, where they will face Eastern in early October. Lee Man’s new signings include Yuto Nakamura, Tsang Kam-to, and Wong Chun-ho.
