Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen calls up Chinese Super League trio for EAFF Championship in Japan
- Midfield powerhouse Tan Chun-lok and defenders Leung Nok-hang and Vas Nunez confirmed after club consent
- All three missed Asian Cup qualification in India because their CSL clubs did not want them to travel
Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen said he was delighted to be able to call up three players who were forced to miss out on the Asia Cup qualifiers because of club commitments for next week’s EAFF Championship in Japan.
Tan Chun-lok of Guangzhou City, Leung Nok-hang of Zhejiang and Vas Nunez of Meizhou Hakka, all ply their trade in the Chinese Super League and were forced to miss the tournament in India because of mainland China’s strict Covid-19 restrictions.
However, the CSL is suspending the domestic competition so Chinese players can represent their country at the same competition, which also includes the hosts and South Korea.
“The situation has changed as they [China] will stop the Super League for this tournament and their best players will go to Japan,” said Andersen, after his 33-man squad’s first training session on Monday.
“We have been in discussion with the trio and they all want to play for Hong Kong. Our plan to to make a big group so that we can have more players prepare for next year’s Asian Cup and therefore it’s important to have them back.”
Tan’s return will solve a big problem in midfield for Andersen, with captain Huang Yang unavailable for personal reasons. The 26-year-old, who plays for Guangzhou City, scored his first goal in the CSL last week in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Henan Jianye.
Leung and Nunex meanwhile will fill the hole left in central defence by the continued absence of Kitchee’s Helio Gonclaves, who also missed the Asian Cup qualification.
