Hong Kong FA Cup: Alex Akande saves Kitchee as they come back to beat Eastern in semi-final
- The veteran former Hong Kong international scores the equaliser after coming off the bench, before earning the decisive penalty in extra time
- Senior Shield champions Kitchee keep alive their treble hopes, with a Premier League title decider up next
Substitute Alex Akande was the saviour for Kitchee as they came from behind to beat Eastern 2-1 after extra time to reach the Hong Kong FA Cup final.
The former Hong Kong international headed home the equaliser after he was brought into the match in the second half.
And when the contest was forced into extra time, the veteran forward was again the key figure with four minutes left, winning a penalty from which Mikael Burkatt scored the winner.
The turnaround, in front of a healthy 2,800 crowd at Mong Kok Stadium, continued Kitchee’s march towards a potential treble.
It was sparked by the now rarely favoured Akande: the 37-year-old has started only twice this season, making 12 substitute appearances, and his goal was only his second of the campaign.
“I always obey the coach,” said Akande, who is back for a second spell with Kitchee after his stint in mainland China. “I have the experience and have played as a top player for 15 years. The only thing I can do now is to keep training hard and wait for the opportunity.”