Kitchee hit new low in semi-final defeat
Head coach Kim’s future hangs in balance after FA Cup loss to Eastern
Interim head coach Kim Dongjin’s future was left hanging by a thread yesterday, after the South Korean was benched during Kitchee’s 2-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat against Eastern.
The loss was a new low in a rotten campaign for the defending champions, who will fail to win either the Hong Kong Premier League or FA Cup for the first time since 2016. Last week, Ken Ng Kin, the Kitchee owner, told the Post the club was “looking at some options” for the managerial post next season, and hinted Kim’s prospects of landing the job hinged on securing cup success.
Kim was seemingly subjected to a public demotion at Mong Kok Stadium, where Eastern striker Noah Baffoe scored twice.
The 42-year-old stayed rooted to the bench for the entire game, with assistant manager Edgar Cardoso apparently taking charge alongside fellow assistant Poon Man-chun.
Kim stormed down the tunnel at full-time, refusing to answer questions from reporters. Cardoso said he could not comment, while defender Andrew Russell also declined to talk.
Captain Helio Goncalves did address the media but had no comment to make about the manager, which was “something between the Kitchee staff”.
“It did not affect the players. When we are on the pitch, we need to forget everything, and we played well,” he said.
Barring a miraculous turnaround in the league, Kitchee’s cup exit also means they are set for a first campaign without Asian football since 2011.
They would need to beat Southern on Saturday, then hope Lee Man suffer a first loss of the league season, against Sham Shui Po on Sunday. Kitchee would then need a three-goal victory over Lee Man in a final-day decider.
But last season’s treble winners look incapable of putting together a coherent performance, let alone conjuring up a miracle.
Despite Goncalves’s comments to the contrary, they were poor against Eastern. Players bickered among themselves, and were booed when they went to applaud supporters afterwards.
“They are right to do this. They come to support us and try to give us energy,” Goncalves said. “Our performance this season has not been good, so I am not complaining. We need to get our heads up and make them happy in future.”
Kitchee were unable to match the speed and energy of Eastern, especially Baffoe, who opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a precise finish from Timmy Ma Hei-wai’s low cross.
The cup holders finally generated momentum after half-time, and Russell hit the upright with an overhead kick, before Severo connected with a Jakob Jantscher corner to equalise with 15 minutes remaining.
Such has been their season though that it took just three minutes for Kitchee to undo all that hard work. Baffoe controlled a pass over the top, rounded goalkeeper Paulo Cesar, who had needlessly raced off his line, and rolled the ball into the net for his 25th goal of the season.
Cesar was skittish from the first minute, when he miskicked a clearance, to the 87th when he was sent off for hacking down Baffoe after the striker again got clear.
Eastern comfortably navigated 10 added minutes to record a second victory over Kitchee inside 12 days, having waited three years to beat the reigning champions.
Our performance has not been good. We need to get our heads up and make [the fans] happy
HELIO GONCALVES, KITCHEE CAPTAIN