ANDERSEN VOWS ‘WE WILL FIGHT AND PRESS’

Hong Kong have never beaten heavyweights Iran in seven previous attempts but aim to challenge the Middle East side in group clash in Qatar

Hong Kong face Iran at the Asian Cup early tomorrow morning, HK time, and head coach Jorn Andersen promised his side would be unrecognisable from the one that lost 4-0 to the same opponents in November.

Andersen has had the relative luxury of a four-week training camp to prepare for the rematch in Qatar, and the strides made in that period were apparent in their luckless opening 3-1 defeat by United Arab Emirates on Sunday.

Iran too may not pose the same threat they did in the World Cup qualifier in Tehran, with head coach Amir Ghalenoei planning to make “three of four changes” from the first-choice 11 that brushed aside Palestine in their first Group C fixture in Doha.

While Andersen previously said Iran resting some of their big guns would give his side “a small chance”, the Norwegian yesterday insisted Hong Kong were equipped for whatever the opponents, ranked 21 in the world, would throw at them.

“Our condition is much better than before the training camp, and you saw in the first game, our team will fight and press for 90 minutes,” said Andersen, who revealed his entire 26-man squad had trained on Wednesday.

“We will see a different Hong Kong team against Iran, from the one in Tehran two months ago. It was very difficult, but this is a new game. We know the strength of

Iran, they have players from the top European leagues but we have worked very hard tactically to prepare.”

Andersen has several decisions to make ahead of picking his team, because while Hong Kong were more incisive and threatening against the UAE after the second-half introduction of forwards Michael Udebuluzor and Stefan Pereira, the defensive shape was lost.

Although fully fit, Juninho is likely to miss out given Andersen’s intention to unleash the forward against Palestine on Tuesday.

In defence, where bodies have been thin on the ground, Andersen is suddenly picking two from five, after Helio Goncalves, Vas Nunez and Sean Tse Ka-keung all recovered from injury. Oliver Gerbig and Li Ngai-hoi, who has quit BC Rangers to try to secure a move back to the mainland, were the centre backs in the first game.

Andersen said “every player has a chance to play”, which was music to the ears of Goncalves, who joined his manager at the prematch press conference.

The 37-year-old won the first of his 35 caps in 2016, and said the muscle injury that delayed his long-awaited involvement had left him frustrated.

“Before, we were defensive and tried to hold them,” he said. “We have changed our style under this coach, we expect to attack and cause more problems for them.”

Iran are unbeaten in 14 matches since Ghalenoei’s appointment for a second spell in charge, in March last year, winning 12 and scoring 44 goals.

The hope for Hong Kong is he slips up by choosing to switch players for the game at Khalifa International Stadium. But Ghalenoei said he was not underestimating Andersen’s side, and expected a “very difficult match”.

“They are a very good team, with a very good coach, who has achieved positive results with the national team, and also the under23s [at the Asian Games, where Hong Kong beat Iran in the quarter-finals],” Ghalenoei said.

They have players from top European leagues but we have worked hard tactically to prepare JORN ANDERSEN, HK HEAD COACH