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Thursday, November 02, 2017, 17:01
R&F host their first Hong Kong Premier League game in Guangzhou
By Tobias Zuser
Thursday, November 02, 2017, 17:01 By Tobias Zuser

Pegasus lost 0-4 to Kitchee in the Sapling Cup. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA.COM)

Last weekend the annual Sapling Cup kicked off with some unexpected results in the group stages, with both Eastern and Pegasus suffering heavy defeats in their respective games. Meanwhile, followers of local football had some other exciting news to celebrate: Cheung Wai-ki, centre forward at the representative women’s team of Hong Kong, made her debut with Brisbane Roar in the Australian W-League. Carrying the prestigious number nine, she stayed on for the entire 90 minutes and also delivered the assist for the second goal, in what ended up being an impressive 3-1 victory over Sydney FC. But for now, the Hong Kong Premier League will again take the spotlight this coming weekend, when the ten clubs lock horns in the sixth round of the campaign.

KITCHEE v LEE MAN, Premier League, Mong Kok Stadium, Nov 3, 8:00 pm

Kitchee have been continuing their undefeated run with another convincing win in their first Sapling Cup game, in which they taught title contenders Pegasus a serious lesson. After a competitive first half, the Bluewaves capitalized on two grave mistakes by Pegasus’ centre back Travis Major, who failed to clear the ball on two different occasions. The match ended in a deserved 4-0 win for Kitchee, with goals from Sandro, Akande, and 18-year-old Robert Stamp, while raising doubts if Pegasus might have lost their promising form that they displayed at the beginning of the season. Certainly, Kitchee coach Alex Chu will look at picking up another three points against Lee Man on Friday night, though it might be one particularly familiar face who could cause troubles to the hosts. Jordi Tarres, who has been on loan from Kitchee to Lee Man, has proved once again his quality and might as well feel some extra motivation to score against his actual employer. The Bees will also try to make up for their 1-2 loss against Dreams in the Sapling Cup.

Tai Po's David Lazari scored a 30-yard free kick goal against Eastern in the Sapling Cup. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA.COM)

SOUTHERN v TAI PO, Premier League, Aberdeen Sports Ground, Nov 4, 2:30 pm

On Saturday afternoon Southern will host Tai Po at Aberdeen Sports Ground, which could promise to be an exciting game between the two most competitive district teams in the league. Although the Aberdeeners suffered a surprising defeat against Rangers in the Sapling Cup, they were also without some of their key players, such as Shay Spitz and Carles Martinez, who are expected to return this weekend. Ricky Cheng will definitely need most of his players available against the threating Tai Po attack, who just put five goals past Eastern’s goalkeeper Yapp Hung-fai in the Sapling Cup. Tan Chun-lok, David Lazari, Igor Sartori, and Yuto Nakamura all put their names on the scoresheet last Sunday, while Lee Chi-kin even opted to rest central midfielder Wong Wai for this occasion. Though still early in the season, the winner of this match will make a serious claim to become the first follower of Kitchee in the title race this year.

PEGASUS v RANGERS, Premier League, Hong Kong Stadium, Nov 4, 5:30 pm

Over the last two weeks Pegasus have come a bit under pressure, suffering unexpectedly clear defeats in both Senior Shield and Sapling Cup. One of the main factors is probably the injury of playmaker Joao Emir, who is not expected to return to the team before December. With centre back Rosen Kolev also picking up an injury the other day, the Flying Horsemen will continue to struggle to keep afloat. Some rumours suggest that Pegasus are currently in the process of signing another foreign aid. The person of choice might be Japanese defender Keisuke Ogawa who recently earned his spurs at Yadanarbon in Myanmar and also used to play in the Thai Premier League. For Rangers on the other hand, there is not much to lose, and their dangerman Tommy Chuck Yiu-kwok might still remember the shock win for his former team R&F last season, when they beat Pegasus against all odds at Hong Kong Stadium.

R&F celebrated their first victory this season. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA.COM)

R&F v DREAMS, Premier League, Yanzigang Stadium (Guangzhou, CN), Nov 5, 2:30 pm

After several weeks of uncertainty, R&F seem finally to be ready to host their first home game in their venue of choice, the Yanzigang Stadium in Guangzhou. The allocated 200 away tickets have been reportedly sold out by now, so spectators should be able to expect a proper crowd on Sunday afternoon. Despite being without their star man Bruninho last weekend, R&F finally celebrated their first win of the season, after two goals from 23-year-old Li Rui had sealed the 2-1 away win in Yuen Long. Opponents Dreams FC might be without their captain Chan Wai-ho, who picked up another facial injury last weekend, but that did not stop them from beating Lee Man 2-1 in the Sapling Cup. 19-year-old Cheng Chin-lung scored his first goal of the season and with Lam Hin-ting and Law Tsz-chun, two more youngsters have already turned into regulars at the club. The league could use more of such teams that do not shy away to give young players more opportunities on the pitch.  

YUEN LONG v EASTERN, Premier League, Yuen Long Stadium, Nov 5, 5:30 pm

The sixth round of the Premier League will be concluded with Yuen Long hosting the troubled Eastern squad. Both teams have been fairly inconsistent this year, but it is especially Eastern who have shocked media and observers thus far. It might have looked like the Blues had found back to their old form when they eliminated Pegasus in the Senior Shield quarter finals, but their 5-2 defeat to Tai Po let once again the alarm bells ring. Coach Szeto Man-chun urgently needs results, as his club could soon be the only team without any points, staying right at the bottom of the table. The return of Vitor Saba to the squad could be good news, but it is actually the defense that has caused the most worries so far, conceding 16 goals in just seven games. Yuen Long will definitely try to exploit this current insecurity and coach Tsang Chiu-tat will be keen to bring his team back on the winning track in front of the home crowd. 


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