Exciting times ahead as we’re at our strongest: Hong Kong football team’s star Matthew Orr

SINGAPORE – Even as England-born Perry Ng is taking steps to obtain Singapore citizenship and join the likes of Japan-born Kyoga Nakamura to play for the Lions, Hong Kong have called up 14 footballers with foreign heritage to their 24-man squad for the sides’ Asian Cup qualifier at the National Stadium on March 25.

While Singapore started naturalising footballers through the Foreign Sports Talent scheme in 2002, Hong Kong already had Portugal-born Arthur Santos playing for them in the 1950s.

Since then, their national team have featured players with roots in Oceania, the Americas, Europe, Africa and other parts of Asia.

At a pre-match press conference on March 24, Matthew Orr, a 28-year-old forward whose father is from New Zealand and mother is from Hong Kong, felt that the approach will help them push for back-to-back Asian Cup qualification at the expense of Group C rivals Singapore, India and Bangladesh.

The Shenzhen Peng City player, who also played in the 1-1 draw against the Lions in 2023, told The Straits Times: “I think this is one of the strongest, if not the strongest Hong Kong squads we have had since I’ve been here, and it’s an exciting time.

“The mixed-heritage players have raised standards and pushed the local players to continue to improve and do even better.

“I was born in Hong Kong and grew up there, so it resonates as my home. Every time I step on the pitch to represent Hong Kong is a very proud moment for me.

“To play at the 2023 Asian Cup was one of the highlights of our careers. It gave us a taste of the pinnacle of Asian football and made us more hungry and motivated to get back there, and it starts again tomorrow.”

Orr, who has scored nine goals in 36 international appearances, can count on support from the likes of Michael Udebuluzor and Stefan Pereira in attack, with both turning out for the territory after renouncing their Nigerian and Brazilian citizenships respectively.

Other than the 14 in the current squad, the Hong Kong Football Association is also looking at Stoke City’s 17-year-old England-born midfielder Ryan Liu and Yeovil Town’s 22-year-old midfielder Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, who has represented Scotland at youth levels.

However, Hong Kong coach Ashley Westwood told ST that Hong Kong is “certainly one of the most difficult places to get people naturalised... other countries seem to be able to get them very quickly”.

On the Hong Kong Immigration Department website, it states that a non-Chinese citizen must live in Hong Kong for seven consecutive years to become a permanent resident, compared to Fifa’s five-year residency rule for naturalised footballers.

“I just look at what’s available, try and pick the best players for the right occasions and concentrate on what I can control,” added Westwood, a 48-year-old Englishman who was part of Manchester United’s 1995 FA Youth Cup-winning team alongside the likes of Phil Neville.

“I’m sure people try to twist things and say, ‘Oh, you’ve got an advantage (with the naturalised players), but it happens all around the world and it’s part and parcel of football... we are just trying to do the best we can.”

Despite going into the match with a record seven straight wins, Westwood understands the danger of complacency and how the Lions may respond as “wounded animals” after losing 1-0 to minnows Nepal in a March 21 friendly.

He said: “I have come up against Singapore teams when I was at Bengaluru FC, and they have some good technical players, some strength and physicality. So, we won’t be looking into that result at all. We’ll just be concentrating on ourselves, try to bring our style, stick to our philosophies, and impose ourselves and do the best we can to win.”

Hong Kong-born defender Oliver Gerbig, whose father is German and mother is from Hong Kong, told South China Morning Post that the Lions did not play their full team against Nepal, adding: “We know their front line is very quick and athletic, and we have to be switched on.

“Every game in this group is going to be tough, and the conditions for all the away matches will be challenging, so it’s important to have a good start. We’re building something good and changing the narrative… we’re trying to be a team that competes and wins games.”