Hong Kong are FIFA ASEAN Cup champions. A much needed win for a team currently in transition and looking to forget the disappointment of not qualifying for the Asian Cup 2027 finals in Saudi Arabia.
Post-game, Hong Kong football players discussed the significance of their recent trophy win and the impact of fan support at the new stadium.
The Fans are the 12th Player!
Dudu, who was fresh from Hong Kong’s win over Cambodia, was positive and hopeful that the FIFA ASEAN Cup win combined with the evolving fan culture and spanking brand new Kai Tak Sports park now provides a perfect foundation for future evolution of the domestic game.
“With the new stadium and with this atmosphere that the fans are putting on, and with the hard work that we (players) put in on the pitch, I think that’s a great time to build momentum and to strive for more things for Hong Kong football.
It’s a big space to develop and grow. People here are passionate, and yes, it’s a great place for us to keep growing for the fans.”
Hong Kong matches at Kai Tak stadium are now an event and the phenomenal atmosphere will only draw more fans. Dudu emphasized the importance of the fans and saw them as the 12th player on the pitch.
“I love it. I love it! It’s really special. I’ve said before, I have played in some really nice stadiums in Brazil, but Kai Tak for me is the top one! The top one! The atmosphere that the fans put on here is really nice. That’s why I’m calling the fans the number 12 because they are really the number 12 player!”
Confidence is Key
Everton Camargo, scorer of HK’s second goal against Cambodia, stressed that Hong Kong were confident and had the belief that they would triumph in the game.
“For the game, everyone believed, and we knew we could make a happy ‘story’ tonight. When the game started, everyone was helping each other because we know we were the better team and we believed so this gave everyone confidence to play!”
FIFA ASEAN Challenge Cup (Division 2) Champions……
You will Never Sing That….
The 12th Player
All photos from Santiago Kwok
