Iran shockingly lost to Hong Kong at the 19th Asian Games

China Iran unexpectedly lost 0-1 to Hong Kong in the quarter-finals of the 19th Asian Games men's football on October 1.

*Scorer: Pui-hin Poon 47'.

With a strong squad that includes many players who have played for the national team, even participated in the 2022 World Cup, Iran had no difficulty reaching the quarterfinals with a clean sheet. On the contrary, Hong Kong was somewhat lucky to get through the group stage after losing two matches to Uzbekistan, thanks to Syria and Afghanistan withdrawing right before the tournament. In the FIFA rankings, Iran's football ranks 21st, while Hong Kong ranks 148th.

This is the first time Hong Kong has reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Games since 1958, after defeating Palestine 1-0 in the round of 16. And today at the Shangcheng Sports Center Stadium, Hangzhou, coach Jorn Andersen and his team continued that history with a golden goal by Pui-hin Poon. In the history of participating in the Asian Games since 1954, this is the first time Hong Kong has reached the semi-finals of the men's football event.

Hong Kong (red) created the biggest surprise since the beginning of the 19th Asian Games, at the Shangcheng Sports Center. Photo: *SCMP*

Entering the match like the 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the group stage and 2-0 victory over Thailand in the round of 16, Iran had no difficulty in dominating the game. However, the West Asian representative did not create many opportunities against an opponent with good physique and actively playing deep defense. The most dangerous situation they created in the first half was a header from striker Amirarsalan Motahhari, but goalkeeper Tse Ka-wing made an excellent save.

The surprise came early in the second half, when naturalised Matthew Orr passed the ball to Pui-hin Poon, who volleyed home the opener. In the remaining 50 minutes, Iran pressed forward in search of an equaliser but missed several chances. Motahhari missed a header from 2 metres out in an open position. Iran's overage player also missed a series of good opportunities. Then Mohammadhossein Eslami volleyed powerfully from close range but could not beat Tse Ka-wing.

Goalkeeper Tse Ka-wing (blue) shined with many saves in the match against Iran. Photo: SCMP — Goalkeeper Tse Ka-wing (blue) shined with many saves in the match against Iran. Photo: *SCMP*

The 10,000 fans in the stadium cheered Hong Kong relentlessly in the second half and they finally got their fill of joy. Playing bravely, Hong Kong secured a 1-0 victory to set up a semi-final against Japan - the runners-up at the last Asian Games. South Korea and Uzbekistan will face each other in the other semi-final.

In 2023, Hong Kong achieved two miracles under the guidance of German-Norwegian coach Andersen. Before the Asian Games, their national team qualified for the Asian Cup finals for the first time since 1968. For Iran, 2023 was considered a year of failure, when they failed to qualify for the AFC U23 Championship finals, then missed out on a medal at the Asian Games.