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Andrew McNicol

Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen has complained that some players don’t want to play for the city’s national side as he prepares for his first match in charge and next month’s Asian Cup qualifiers.
Faced with the “headache” of Hong Kong football’s notorious lack of firepower, Andersen is encountering difficulties in defence, too, ahead of a friendly against Malaysia this month and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign in India.
“When some players don’t want to play for the national team right now, my headache is bigger,” he said.
“The biggest problem now is not the strikers, but the defenders. We don’t have many defenders in Hong Kong. Three defenders from [mainland Chinese clubs], and Helio [Goncalves, of Kitchee], don’t want to play. Maybe our four best defenders don’t want to play for Hong Kong in these national team qualifiers, so that’s again a big headache for me.”

Asked whether attack remained a problem area, the former Norway striker replied: “That’s right. We don’t have so many good strikers in Hong Kong. That’s my headache. I have my ideas and I will try to do the best with the situation.
“I need one who makes goals, is dangerous, good in the air, who can finish. That’s the striker I need, because I will change the playing style a little bit – more attacking. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I will try.
“We have names like Matt Orr, Sun Ming-him, Alex Akande. These are players that I have to test first, then I will make my last choice for India – who can start up front for Hong Kong.”
Andersen last week accused several mainland Chinese clubs of stopping some of his best players from joining the Hong Kong squad for the qualifiers.
That left him with a depleted pool to choose from, and he added that Helio had travelled abroad to see his family after Kitchee’s recently completed AFC Champions League group fixtures in Thailand.
But the friendly with Malaysia offers Andersen – who last week finally took his first in-person senior team training session after being appointed in December – a chance to assess his options before qualifiers against Afghanistan, Cambodia and India in Kolkata.
Hong Kong boss Andersen hails ‘very important’ Thailand trip
Malaysia’s new coach Kim Pan-gon is well known to Hong Kong football followers. The South Korean was a Hong Kong senior and under-23 coach between 2012 and 2018, before becoming the Korean Football Association’s technical director.
Kim had his first matches in charge of Malaysia in March at the Football Association of Singapore Tri-Nations Series, in which his side were runners-up.
He and Andersen have similarly attack-heavy philosophies – welcome additions for the traditionally more defensive Hong Kong and Malaysia teams. Andersen, who has managed Incheon United in the K-League as well as the North Korea national side, is familiar with Kim.

“Of course, I know him very well,” Andersen said. “When I was coach of North Korea, we played three times – twice in Hong Kong and once in North Korea. After I went to South Korea, he was working with the Korean FA, and we would meet sometimes in Seoul.
“We have a good relationship. He asked if we were interested in a friendly game, and of course we want to do it before the India games. It’s a good test for Hong Kong, to see what our level is.”
Andersen has an encouraging head-to-head with the Malayan “Tigers”, having beaten them twice as North Korea manager – the last a 2019 Asian Cup group qualifier.


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Players don’t want to play for Hong Kong, new boss Jorn Andersen says

Hong Kong coach Jorn Andersen at training as he prepares for the Asian Cup qualifiers. Photo: Chan Kin-wa   

Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen (third from left) addresses his players at training in Hong Kong. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Former Hong Kong coach Kim Pan-gon (right) will be a familiar face to his counterpart. Photo: HKFA 

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Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring the decisive penalty of the shoot-out during the FA Cup Final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, on May 14, 2022. Photo: Xinhua

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk (centre) is an injury doubt after coming off against Chelsea. Photo: Xinhua

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Tan Chun-lok in a 2022 World Cup qualifiers against visitors Bahrain at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: May Tse

Tan Chun-lok, Li Ngai-hoi and Leung Nok-hang (from right) hailed future players for Hong Kong when they appear in a training session at Football Club. Photo: Handout

Jorn Andersen names his first squad for Hong Kong after his appointment in December. Photo: Reuters 

Helio Goncalves (blue) plays for Kitchee in the 2022 AFC Champions League against Chiangrai United. Photo: Reuters

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Jorn Andersen talks to the players in their first training session at Tseung Kwan O Football Training Centre. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Jorn Andersen in thinking of his attacking football. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Centre back Lau Hok-ming in his first practice session under new manager Jorn Andersen at Tseung Kwan O Training Centre. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

James Ha watched by Wong Wai (left) and Fung Hing-wa in a Hong Kong team training session at Tseung Kwan O Football Training Centre. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Ngan Lok-fung follows the instructions of Jorn Andersen. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Hong Kong in preparation for the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers which will take place in India in June. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Hong Kong football head coach Jorn Andersen hails ‘very important’ Thailand trip as he mulls Asian Cup qualifiers squad

The Kitchee starting team before the AFC Champions League group game against Chiangmai United at the Buriram City Stadium in Thailand. Photo: Kitchee

Hong Kong men’s head coach Jorn Andersen at his first virtual press conference event in Kowloon. Photo: Hong Kong Football Association

Kitchee midfielder Ruslan Mingazov celebrates after scoring against Chiangrai United in the AFC Champions League group game at the Buriram City Stadium in Thailand. Photo: Kitchee

Prolific striker Dejan Damjanovic (centre) during Kitchee’s training camp in Thailand. Photo: Kitchee

Hong Kong international Law Tsz-chun during Kitchee’s training camp in Thailand. Photo: Kitchee

Sport

Football

Hong Kong

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Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

AFC Cup

Matt Orr