Opinion | Why Tsun Dai still gets in Gary White’s Hong Kong squad after training with China Under-21s
- The 19-year-old football prodigy is in 30-man squad for EAFF Cup
- Angry Hong Kong netizens called him ‘betrayer’ after China training camp
Promising England exile Dai Wai-tsun’s international future is up in the air but he could be sticking with Hong Kong, at least for the moment, simply because the price to play for China may be too high.
The Hong Kong-born 19-year-old was a surprise selection in Gary White’s latest 30-member preliminary squad announced on Wednesday, despite being embroiled in a national team saga following his involvement with the China youth team.
Hong Kong coach White is preparing for his first competitive tournament since taking over in September, with matches against North Korea, Mongolia and hosts Taiwan in the EAFF Cup second round early next month.
Better known as Tsun Dai in England where he plays his professional football for Oxford United, Dai was subjected to sudden vitriol from Hong Kong fans when it was reported he went for a training camp with the China Under-21 national team in Amsterdam earlier this month.
This happened after Dai was dropped for Hong Kong’s friendly against visitors Thailand on October 11. It was the first time he had been called up by the senior representative team, but he said he was still recovering from a knee problem sustained playing for his English League One club’s Under-23 side.
