While attendances were significantly down on previous seasons (even when taking games played behind closed doors into account), the fans that came out to watch the Hong Kong Premier League and the three major cup competitions were treated to a rollercoaster season.
For the first time since the Sapling Cup was introduced in 2015, all four major trophies were won by different teams. Kitchee won a tense derby Senior Shield final during Chinese New Year, after having won the hastily arranged HKPL Cup on January 1st, Rangers bagged the Sapling Cup, Lee Man completed an invincible league season to crown themselves champions for the first time, and Eastern won the final trophy of the season, a dramatic FA Cup final against minnows Sham Shui Po. Meanwhile, on the international stage the Hong Kong representative men’s team made history when making their first Asian Cup appearance in nearly sixty years.
The season’s conclusion saw two teams self-relegate (RCFC and Sham Shui Po) and one team disband (HKU23), with Kowloon City being promoted to make up the numbers for 2024-25. The last season also saw multiple legends retire: Lo Kwan-yee and Lam Ka-wai at Rangers, Huang Yang and Roberto at Kitchee, and Fernando Recio at Lee Man to name a few.
Here we look ahead to the upcoming season: a nine-team-league with revamped cup competitions (although their structure has not been announced), and hopefully larger attendances. The nine clubs will play each other three times, in a triple round-robin structure. There is also a new ‘U22 League’ that has mainly drawn negative reactions from fans so far, after it had been revealed that overage players will still be allowed. But others may argue that with the expected reduction of Sapling Cup games (rumours say the double round-robin will be scrapped in favour of either single round-robin or straight knockout), the U22 League could provide younger players with more opportunities, increasing their chance to feature in first team squads throughout the campaign.
Lee Man
Home ground: Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground
Results: HKPL – 1st, FA Cup – semi-fnal, Senior Shield – semi-final, Sapling Cup – group stage
New key signing: Jiloan Hamad. The midfielder has experience in top leagues across Europe and Asia, and has played internationally for both Sweden and Iraq.
Major departure: Givanilton. The Brazilian forward’s contract was not renewed after five years at the club.
Star player: Henri Anier. The Estonian striker was joint top scorer in the HKPL last season, and still regularly features for his national team, closing in on a hundred games.
Opening game: Southern (away) 31/8, 4pm
Having won their first league title, and only the second trophy in their seven year history, Lee Man will hope to push on next season with more silverware, and make a good impression in the maiden season of the Asian Champions League Two, where they landed in a favourable group with good chances to reach the knockout stages. The club has retained a large number of their squad members, although they lost three defenders who were replaced with younger players. Experienced duo Samuel Rosa and Jiloan Hamad came from Thailand to fill the gap left by Givanilton and should give more offensive quality. Head coach Tsang Chiu-tat won the league unbeaten in his first full season as head coach at the club, but his tactics were not always well-received by fans, including in the shock FA Cup semifinal defeat to Sham Shui Po.
Useful links: Instagram (official), Facebook (official), Website (official), Instagram (fanclub)
Tai Po
Home ground: Tai Po Sports Ground
Results: HKPL – 2nd, FA Cup – quarter final, Senior Shield – 1st round, Sapling Cup – semi final
New key signing: Igor Sartori. The Brazilian winger returns after five years away. In his last season in Tai Po green, he won the HKPL Player of the Year Award as the main contributor behind Tai Po’s shock title triumph in 2019.
Major departure: Luizinho. Another Brazilian winger, this time on the way out after a productive 18 month spell.
Star player: Chan Siu-kwan. The midfielder, also known as Philip Chan, was a well-deserved winner of the Hong Kong Footballer of the Year award in his first season at the club since being part of the 2019 championship squad. His goal scoring threat will play a key part in how Tai Po performs. One of the first names on the team sheet for Hong Kong, he has played a part in virtually every game since September 2022, and scored their only goal of the Asian Cup.
Opening game: Kowloon City (home), 1/9, 4pm
Lee Chi-kin is at the helm, having returned in June 2023 to the club where he won the league in 2019. The Green Army finished last season in second place, far beyond the wildest dreams of the fanbase, having only finished seventh the season before. A young but effective squad is captained by centre back Gabriel Cividini, with Tse Ka-wing and Lucas Silva being matchwinners at opposite ends of the pitch. While Igor Sartori is the main big name arrival, retaining key players such as Lucas, Philip and Ka-wing is just as important. A largely domestic squad with a sprinkling of foreign talent, can the Greens repeat a title challenge?
Useful links: Instagram (official), Facebook (official), Website (official), Instagram (fanclub), Facebook (fanclub)
Eastern
Home ground: Mong Kok Stadium
Results: HKPL – 3rd, FA Cup – winners, Senior Shield – runners up, Sapling Cup – group stage
New key signing: Lam Hin-ting. The bad boy of Hong Kong football joins from Rangers to bolster a side that managed to retain key players who were linked with moves away.
Major departure: Leon Jones. The bulk of the squad was retained, and the form of Kozubayev and Almazan meant the Glasgow-born centre back struggled for gametime. He joined local rivals Kitchee.
Star player: Noah Baffoe. The Spaniard was incredible last season, joint top scorer in HKPL with a goal every 96 minutes across all competitions.
Opening game: Rangers (home), 30/8, 8pm
Eastern’s perseverance with younger players in recent seasons paid off, finishing above rivals Kitchee and securing a cup victory. This qualified them for the group stage of ACL 2, although they have been a very challenging draw with AFC top sides. Meanwhile, their young players continue to develop: Timmy Ma scored on his Hong Kong debut in June and Ng Yu-hei will look to add to his positive contributions this year. Jesse Yu and Kozubayev were both linked with moves away, but retaining the pair is almost as good as a new signing. There are rumours of another arrival or two before the season gets properly underway, and Victor Bertomeu returns after a year playing in Indonesia. Head coach Roberto Losada is approaching four years at the club, at the moment combining his role with being an interim assistant for the Hong Kong team.
Useful links: Instagram (official), Facebook (official), Instagram (fanclub), Facebook (fanclub)
Kitchee
Home ground: Mong Kok Stadium
Results: HKPL – 4th, FA Cup – semi-final, Senior Shield – winners, Sapling Cup – runners up
New key signing: Jay Haddow. Kitchee’s prodigal son returns from an eight year adventure with Blackburn Rovers. The versatile defender was the first signing of the summer, and alongside other young recruits will hope to help Kitchee bounce back.
Major departure: Charlie Scott. The Englishman was one of Kitchee’s few bright spots last season, and clearly wanted to stay and potentially naturalise. Now in Indonesia.
Star player: Luis Machado. The Portuguese winger has looked bright in preseason, and Kitchee will need him on top form to challenge for the league again.
Opening game: North District (away), 31/8, 4pm
Kitchee had a season to forget, despite winning the Senior Shield. Poor recruitment and a lack of tactical nous meant the season imploded in the latter months, as an experienced squad began to show its age. Over 900 Kitchee games worth of experience have departed, including captain Huang Yang, who retired, t and young full back Shinichi Chan, who moved to Shanghai Shenhua. Edgar Cardoso joined the club initially as academy director in September 2023, before being promoted to an assistant to Kim Dong-jin after Alex Chu’s departure. Cardoso previously worked with Qatar’s youth sides and led Shakhtar Donetsk’s academy before moving to Hong Kong. Ruslan Mingazow will hope to perform like he did in his first season rather than his second, and Juninho seems set to be used in central midfield, with both players needing to contribute more offensively after the departures of Mikael and Jakob Jantscher. Youngster Tuscany Shek will probably continue to start in the Sapling Cup, while Kim Shin-wook continues to pick up his large paycheck without playing.
Useful links: Instagram (official), Facebook (official), Website (official), Instagram (Ultras Bluewave), Facebook (Ultras Bluewave), Instagram (Angry Boundary Street), Facebook (Angry Boundary Street), Blog (Angry Boundary Street)
Southern
Home ground: Aberdeen Sports Ground
Results: HKPL – 5th, FA Cup – quarter final, Senior Shield – quarter final, Sapling Cup – semi final
New key signing: Gregory. The Brazilian joins after a recent stint in Macau, and will hope to alleviate the pressure on Stefan to deliver.
Major departure: Tomas Maronesi. The veteran centre back drops down to Central & Western in Division 1; only Shu Sasaki and Kessi played more minutes last season.
Star player: Stefan Pereira. The experienced frontman was announced as leaving in May, and after rumours linked him with Kitchee, he re-signed with the club in early July.
Opening game: Lee Man (home), 31/8, 4pm
Southern are a hard team to judge. Securing good draws against three of the top four last season while also losing to Sham Shui Po in league and cup, they finished fifth in the league. The club also failed to make the most of the cups after good starts. Stefan Pereira left the club and then ended up rejoining two months later, in another episode of chaotic Hong Kong football, soon after fellow Brazilian Rondinelli da Silva had joined and swiftly departed within two days. The signing of Gregory, another Brazilian, offers another attacking option to relieve the pressure on Stefan. Realistically they will finish mid-table again; the squad lacks the depth to challenge for the title, but they have too much quality to fall down the league. Yeung Ching-kwong is still the man in charge, who has managed Eastern and R&F in the past, as well as having two spells assisting Meizhou Hakka in China.
Useful links: Instagram (official), Facebook (official), Instagram (fanclub)
Rangers
Home ground: Tsing Yi Sports Ground
Results: HKPL – 6th, FA Cup – semi final, Senior Shield – quarter final, Sapling Cup – winners
New key signing: Suganuma Shunya. The experienced Japanese centre back has over three hundred professional games under his belt, with the majority in J1 and J2 football.
Major departure: Yumemi Kanda. The talismanic Japanese midfielder had 42 goal contributions in 48 games (24 goals, 18 assists) and replacing him will prove critical if Rangers are to improve at all.
Star player: Lau Chi-lok. The striker has been at the club for years, but it was only last season that he began to score regularly, with his uptick in form after turning 30, causing some fans to call him ‘Hong Kong Vardy’.
Opening game: Eastern (away), 30/8, 8pm
Another summer of change and it is anyone’s guess what version of Rangers turn up. They lost two icons of Hong Kong football (Lo Kwan-yee and Lam Ka-wai), as well as star players Lam Hin-ting, Yumemi Kanda and Ibrahim Nassam. The average age of their new arrivals is twenty-one, but Oleksiy Shlyakotin and Luizinho offer much-needed experience. Chaotic club management and high player turnover are a tradition of this club, with last season’s highlights including Yumemi Kanda falling out with coaches regarding player selection and assistant manager Chiu Chung-man being investigated for alleged match fixing offences. On the pitch Rangers will be hoping to perform better against the big clubs, having not earned a single point against any of the teams above them last season. Lau Chi-lok will be the main man, but will need a lot of assistance from those around him. Last season Kanda and Ibrahim scored 20 of Rangers’ 41 HKPL goals between them. Their young players were key to their Sapling Cup victory, even if Sergio Chiu is heading to the Thai leagues. Tim Bredbury was recently appointed as head coach for his fourth spell, and brings with him nearly twenty years of coaching experience in Hong Kong.
Useful links: Instagram (official), Facebook (official)
Hong Kong Football Club
Home ground: HKFC Stadium
Results: HKPL – 7th, FA Cup – quarter final, Senior Shield – 1st round, Sapling Cup – group stage
New key signing: Andy Russell. The veteran centre back returns to the club where he played in the academy, after an 18 month spell at Kitchee. His experience will be important in an extremely young squad. Still poses a threat at set pieces, even if he was exposed for a lack of pace in Kitchee’s high line.
Major departure: Tim Chow. The young fullback has got his big move, albeit to Lee Man, after at least one season of Eastern trying their best. Chow gets the opportunity to show his talents on a bigger stage in Asian competition.
Star player: Freddie Toomer. The goalkeeper has been made captain this year, and previously went viral for a stunning goal. Like many HKFC players, Toomer does miss games for work commitments, but the team looks much better when he is between the sticks.
Opening game: Rangers (home), 15/9, 4.30pm
The largely amateur outfit underwent major squad changes over the summer, after a period where it looked as though the club would self-relegate. Eventually, members voted to keep the club in the HKPL, but on a smaller budget. As many of the players have other jobs, this can lead to farcical scenes. In the 8-0 defeat to Kitchee, striker Paul Ngue finished the match in goal, and their final game of the season saw only one substitute named; a goalkeeper who had to come on outfield. They have promoted a number of young players from their academy and affiliated Yau Yee League sides, while also signing young players left unemployed by the withdrawal of HKU23. The average age of their new signings is 21, with Andy Russell and Toby Down’s arrivals adding to the existing experience of Toomer, Emmet Wan and Jack Sealy. The shift to youth can be seen in the coaching setup, with South African manager Chancy Cooke promoted from the academy, having previously worked at Southern and Hong Kong youth teams. Another mid table finish would be miraculous, and they will struggle, especially if games get moved to midweek as the season goes on. Alongside Tim Chow, HKFC also lost Dominic Johns, who suffered a nasty leg break towards the end of the campaign, and seemingly has not had his contract renewed, given he is expected to be out for the best part of a year, and potentially longer.
Useful links: Instagram (official), Facebook (official), Website (official)
North District
Home ground: North District Sports Ground
Results: HKPL – 8th, FA Cup – 1st round, Senior Shield – 1st round, Sapling Cup – group stage
New key signing: Pong Cheuk-hei. The young goalkeeper joins the club to replace Lam Chun-kit, who is under investigation for match fixing. In a poor RCFC side, Pong (or Bear as he is also known) performed well, with Kitchee linked with a move for his services.
Major departure: Jordan Lam. The left-sided player only spent a year with the club, but regularly deputised as captain, and his strong performances earned him a Hong Kong cap and a move to Kitchee.
Star player: Kendy. The only Brazilian to stay at the club, he contributed with goals and assists last season, and will be captain this year.
Opening game: Kitchee (home), 31/8, 4pm
For their first top flight season, an 8th place finish was a good return. Managed by Leung Chi-wing, the squad, consisting largely of young local players and a handful of Brazilians, posed occasional problems to the bigger teams. With more consistency, the men from Sheung Shui would have achieved a top half finish. But the upcoming campaign looks different. The ugly noise of a match fixing scandal has engulfed the club, with Leung one of those investigated. Assistant Pau Ka-yiu will take on the responsibility of head coach. He previously worked at Tai Po and Happy Valley. 16 players left the club, including the majority of Brazilians. There has been some youthful recruitment from 1st Division sides, but with the three teams below them last season all no longer in the league, it will be a tough year.
Useful links: Instagram (official), Facebook (official)
Kowloon City
Home ground: Sham Shui Po Sports Ground
Results: n/a
Key new signing: Diego Eli. With over 130 Premier League games under his belt, the four cap Hong Kong international will be crucial to any chance of avoiding finishing bottom, having been a squad player in Lee Man’s recent title triumph.
Major departure: Emeka Ezeme. The 20 year old Nigerian centre back scored eight goals in 20 games, but has not been retained for the Premier League.
Star player: Lam Hok-hei. One of the few players who benefitted at all from the HKU23 experiment, he will hope to use that experience as captain of a youthful squad to lead from the front.
Opening game: Tai Po (away), 1/9, 4pm
For the second season in a row, the Hong Kong Premier League has a debutant district club. However, Kowloon City will play at Sham Shui Po and not within their district. While fans will definitely not miss the Hammer Hill away day, it also defeats the point of a club representing a district. Once the smaller pitch next to Kai Tak Stadium is complete, it would make sense for them to move there, although this is unlikely to happen this season. With Diego Eli from Lee Man and Lam Hok-hei moving from now defunct HKU23, they have recruited solid experience at the top level. Forward Kayron moved from Tai Po, and a club which came 2nd and then 1st in the 1st Division should have a decent enough squad to pose some challenges to the top flight sides. They are managed by Chan Ming-kong, formerly an assistant at Sham Shui Po, who also played for Lee Man and Rangers amongst others during his playing days.
Useful links: Instagram Facebook
Nine teams. Four competitions. 108 Premier League games. The season is almost upon us. If you’ve never watched a game of Hong Kong local football, use the above links to find out more about each club. No matter your style of football support, seated at the back or chanting pitchside, there’s a team for you.
Keep up to date with all the latest news by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter, and Spotify.
