最少500港人球迷好波⚽️｜作客人數再創新高‼️｜Hong Kong's 0-1 “Surprising” Loss Sends Iran into Last 16

兩場波

港隊明顯進步

可惜獨欠埋門一腳

伊朗記者鬧爆自己「比預期弱」

但讚 “Hong Kong is surprising”

希望最後一場再suprise大家😎

Hong Kong's 0-1 “Surprising” Loss Sends Iran into Last 16

Iran secured a knockout berth in AFC Asian Cup 2023, scoring a vital first-half goal to beat Hong Kong in their Group C showdown in Qatar tonight.

Hong Kong delivered a surprising performance, relentlessly pressuring in the opponent's half throughout the match. The Hongkongers registered an impressive seven shots in the first half, coming close to matching Iran’s tally of eight.

However, with a goal in their pocket, Iran adopted a more strategic approach in the second half. They downshifted, maintained possession and controlled the game. Ultimately, it proved sufficient for the three-time Asian champions to advance to the round of 16.

Sports journalist Ali Eshqabadi of Iran remarked to this writer: “If you had a fox in the box, the score would have been different.”

Indeed, Iran possessed that “fox” in 25-year-old forward Mehdi Ghayedi, who netted the only goal in the 24th minute and registered two shots on target.

Eshqabadi added: “I assumed a similar score to the first game versus Palestine (4:1). But… Hong Kong is surprising.”

Hong Kong exerted intense pressure in the opening 15 minutes, with 83.5% of the game's actions occurring in the middle or Iran’s third, as indicated by official action areastatistics on the AFC website. Matt Orr from the city had the first shot on goal in the 11th minute from 20 yards.

Despite their attacking efforts, Hong Kong lacked the finishing touch.

Nevertheless, they demonstrated improvements compared to their previous match against the UAE, showcasing better defensive prowess from their strikers, swifter transitions from attack to defense, heightened awareness, and a significant reduce in the number of defensive errors in the box.

Just three minutes into the added time, the boisterous Hongkonger fans, numbering around half a thousand in section 302, still chanted "Hong Kong! Hong Kong! Hong Kong!"

Currently positioned last in Group C with no points, Hong Kong continues to hold the opportunity to progress to the knockout stage. They must win against Palestine in their final group match on January 23rd and aim to be among the top four third-placed teams from the six groups, alongside the six group winners and runners-up.

You can catch all the AFC Asian Cup actions on https://hoy.tv/, the website of a Hong Kong-based free-to-air terrestrial TV channel.