HK face Liechtenstein in Euro adventure
Hong Kong will play a football international in Europe for the first time after the city’s chiefs confirmed a friendly date with Liechtenstein on October 10.
The pioneering fixture at the 7,000-capacity Rheinpark Stadion was the idea of head coach Jorn Andersen, who said facing unfamiliar opposition would allow Hong Kong to “learn about different playing styles”.
Andersen said Hong Kong would return to Asia for their second friendly fixture in October’s Fifa window, which provides a final opportunity to prepare for the East Asian Football Federation Championship qualifiers in Taiwan two months later.
Hong Kong last met European opposition in June 2006 when Croatia won a friendly in the city 4-0. You need to go back another 14 years, to June 1992 for the last time Hong Kong played outside Asian Football Confederation territory: a 3-1 friendly loss in Canada.
At 202 in global Fifa rankings, Liechtenstein sit 43 positions beneath Hong Kong, in 157.
“Liechtenstein has many talented players, and some of them are playing abroad,”
Andersen said. “Despite our comparable level, I believe it will be a difficult game due to their stronger physique. This will give us the opportunity to learn about different playing styles, and improve.”
Located between Austria and Switzerland, the tiny principality of Liechtenstein has about 40,000 people. The national team mainly draws its players from domestic football, but has a smattering of talent performing overseas.
Hong Kong are in action next month, when they host Iran then travel to Turkmenistan for the closing two Group E matches in the second round of World Cup Asian qualifiers.