Lee Man aim to become first Hong Kong side to reach AFC Cup final amid logistical obstacles
- They will play hosts Nasaf of Uzbekistan next week but must go through air travel restrictions and need to quarantine upon returning home
- South China reached the same stage of the regional cup in 2009 but lost to Kuwaiti club Al-Kuwait
Lee Man will aim to become the first Hong Kong side to reach the AFC Cup final next week, but they must overcome a series of obstacles brought about by air travel restrictions and quarantine control measures to do so.
The Hong Kong Premier League club is due to take on hosts Nasaf of Uzbekistan in the AFC Cup’s inter-zone play-off final next Wednesday (October 20), provided they can leave Hong Kong on Thursday midnight as scheduled. The winners will then meet a Middle Eastern team in the final.
“We can’t confirm anything yet, the weather, the Covid-19 testing and the quarantine when returning home, all pose us a lot of uncertainties,” said manager Chan Hiu-ming. “In the past, if we played in an AFC Cup match overseas, it was straight forward. You booked the ticket and accommodation, made sure your team could leave Hong Kong in time, played the match and returned home to continue your domestic playing schedule. But that all changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”