Amid rising anticipation, Hong Kong’s Chief Coach Ashley Westwood has dismissed concerns from the Bangladesh football team regarding their treatment ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier. The encounter will take place at the sold-out Kai Tak Stadium, which has a capacity of 50,000, attracting a full house within just 1.5 hours of tickets going on sale.
Match Anticipation and Venue Details
The upcoming clash is highly anticipated following Hong Kong’s thrilling 4-3 victory in Dhaka last Thursday. The excitement surrounding the match is palpable, and many fans are eager to see how both teams perform under pressure.
Concerns Over Facilities Addressed
At a pre-match press conference, Westwood reacted to reports of dissatisfaction from the Bangladeshi delegation regarding their training conditions. He confidently asserted, “I can guarantee you they are getting much better than we did in Bangladesh.” He added that he felt their association might be overly accommodating to the visiting team.
The Asian Football Confederation mandates that visiting teams have access to training facilities as of two days before the match. Bangladesh, however, was allowed to use Tai Po Sports Ground on Saturday and trained at Tsing Yi Sports Ground the following day. They continued their preparations at Kai Tak on Monday, requesting a temperature of 23 degrees under the stadium roof for their final session.
Team Changes
In terms of lineup changes, Tse Ka-wing will step in as goalkeeper for the injured Yapp Hung-fai. This adjustment marks a crucial moment for Hong Kong as they aim to secure a win at home.
Despite the Bangladeshi head coach Javier Cabrera acknowledging that the facilities could have been improved, he confirmed that they were sufficient for the team’s training needs. The match is set for a compelling showdown between both teams as they vie for advancement in the Asian Cup qualifiers.
