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AFC Asian Cup: Hong Kong frighten powerhouse Iran, but narrow defeat leaves progress hingeing on Palestine encounter
- Hong Kong have lost their opening two matches in Qatar despite a pair of competitive performances
- Victory over Palestine on Tuesday would clinch third place in Group C and raise the prospect of last-16 progress
Hong Kong will have to beat Palestine on Tuesday to have any chance of progressing to the next stage of the Asian Cup after a 1-0 defeat by Iran in Al Rayyan on Saturday morning.
The bare details of Hong Kong’s fate do not begin to tell the story of a breathless performance from Jorn Andersen’s side.
Iran are now unbeaten in 15 matches since the 2022 Fifa World Cup, and of their 13 victories in that sequence, few can have been as hard-earned as this, with Mehdi Ghayedi’s 24th-minute goal all that separated the two sides.
For long periods, Hong Kong suffocated Iran, who could not catch their breath in the face of their opponents’ furious hounding, tackling, and chasing.
It was a performance that underlined the impact head coach Andersen has had on the city’s national team over two years in charge. There was a time not long ago when Hong Kong would have treated this assignment with utmost caution.
At a vibrant Khalid International Stadium, their bold approach should have had them level at the midway point. Hong Kong had two fabulous first-half opportunities, both gift-wrapped by their opponents’ defensive mistakes.
On 17 minutes, Roozbeh Cheshmi’s hurried ball from defence was cut out by a fast-retreating Sun Ming-him. The ball flew to Everton Camargo, who found himself staring down goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
By the time Camargo skirted Berianvand’s challenge, four defenders had stationed themselves between him and the goal. Camargo’s attempt from 12 yards cleared the bar by a distance.
Mehdi Taremi was the culprit when Iran presented the ball to Hong Kong five minutes from the break.
Sun, into the team along with Vas Nunez, was the recipient, and promptly chipped a speculative ball over the top. Milad Mohammadi sliced an attempted clearance high and towards his own goal, and Beiranvand dashed back to hook out the dropping ball.
When it fell for Philip Chan Siu-kwan, the goalscorer in Sunday’s loss to United Arab Emirates sliced a golden opportunity tamely into Beiranvand’s hands.
That 24 minutes had elapsed before the world’s 21st best team had a shot on target against the side ranked 150 was indicative of Hong Kong’s improvement since they were two down at the same point against Iran in a World Cup qualifier two months ago.
Mohammadi sped forward to set up Ghayedi, who slid his finish from left of centre through the legs of Nunez and into the far corner.
The demonstrative Andersen was apoplectic, probably because of the space afforded Ghayedi to pick his spot.
But this was a night when people kept their word. Iran head coach Amir Ghaloeni pledged to make changes, and there were five in his starting 11; he began removing bodies drained by trying to keep pace with Hong Kong on 65 minutes.
Andersen’s team fulfilled their manager’s vow to play with aggression and purpose. Their supporters among a crowd of 36,412 started chanting inside two minutes, and did not stop all night.
Yapp Hung-fai was given vocal acclaim when he made a terrific stop from a Taremi header late in the opening half, and he was on hand again on 72 minutes, tumbling to his right to keep out Rezaeian’s dipping free kick.
Andersen duly sent on attackers Stefan Pereira and Michael Udebuluzor, along with midfielder Wong Wai, withdrawing Sun, Philip Chan and Matt Orr.
An unmarked Rezaeian wasted a chance to kill off Hong Kong when he missed from 10 yards, and with chances drying up at the other end, Andersen introduced forwards Marcus Chang Hei-yin and Poon Pui-hin for the seven minutes of added time.
Hong Kong could not capitalise on a succession of set pieces, and at full-time a handful of bodies dressed in red sank to the turf.
Their heartbreak after losing to one of the tournament favourites was another indication of the shift in Hong Kong’s belief and ambition. They will need those qualities in buckets against Palestine next week.
Hong Kong will have to beat Palestine on Tuesday to have any chance of progressing to the next stage of the Asian Cup after a 1-0 defeat by Iran in Al Rayyan on Saturday morning.
The bare details of Hong Kong’s fate do not begin to tell the story of a breathless performance from Jorn Andersen’s side.
Iran are now unbeaten in 15 matches since the 2022 Fifa World Cup, and of their 13 victories in that sequence, few can have been as hard-earned as this, with Mehdi Ghayedi’s 24th-minute goal all that separated the two sides.
For long periods, Hong Kong suffocated Iran, who could not catch their breath in the face of their opponents’ furious hounding, tackling, and chasing.
It was a performance that underlined the impact head coach Andersen has had on the city’s national team over two years in charge. There was a time not long ago when Hong Kong would have treated this assignment with utmost caution.
At a vibrant Khalid International Stadium, their bold approach should have had them level at the midway point. Hong Kong had two fabulous first-half opportunities, both gift-wrapped by their opponents’ defensive mistakes.
On 17 minutes, Roozbeh Cheshmi’s hurried ball from defence was cut out by a fast-retreating Sun Ming-him. The ball flew to Everton Camargo, who found himself staring down goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
By the time Camargo skirted Berianvand’s challenge, four defenders had stationed themselves between him and the goal. Camargo’s attempt from 12 yards cleared the bar by a distance.
Mehdi Taremi was the culprit when Iran presented the ball to Hong Kong five minutes from the break.
Sun, into the team along with Vas Nunez, was the recipient, and promptly chipped a speculative ball over the top. Milad Mohammadi sliced an attempted clearance high and towards his own goal, and Beiranvand dashed back to hook out the dropping ball.
When it fell for Philip Chan Siu-kwan, the goalscorer in Sunday’s loss to United Arab Emirates sliced a golden opportunity tamely into Beiranvand’s hands.
That 24 minutes had elapsed before the world’s 21st best team had a shot on target against the side ranked 150 was indicative of Hong Kong’s improvement since they were two down at the same point against Iran in a World Cup qualifier two months ago.
Mohammadi sped forward to set up Ghayedi, who slid his finish from left of centre through the legs of Nunez and into the far corner.
The demonstrative Andersen was apoplectic, probably because of the space afforded Ghayedi to pick his spot.
But this was a night when people kept their word. Iran head coach Amir Ghaloeni pledged to make changes, and there were five in his starting 11; he began removing bodies drained by trying to keep pace with Hong Kong on 65 minutes.
Andersen’s team fulfilled their manager’s vow to play with aggression and purpose. Their supporters among a crowd of 36,412 started chanting inside two minutes, and did not stop all night.
Yapp Hung-fai was given vocal acclaim when he made a terrific stop from a Taremi header late in the opening half, and he was on hand again on 72 minutes, tumbling to his right to keep out Rezaeian’s dipping free kick.
Andersen duly sent on attackers Stefan Pereira and Michael Udebuluzor, along with midfielder Wong Wai, withdrawing Sun, Philip Chan and Matt Orr.
An unmarked Rezaeian wasted a chance to kill off Hong Kong when he missed from 10 yards, and with chances drying up at the other end, Andersen introduced forwards Marcus Chang Hei-yin and Poon Pui-hin for the seven minutes of added time.
Hong Kong could not capitalise on a succession of set pieces, and at full-time a handful of bodies dressed in red sank to the turf.
Their heartbreak after losing to one of the tournament favourites was another indication of the shift in Hong Kong’s belief and ambition. They will need those qualities in buckets against Palestine next week.