Fifa Asean Cup: Gianni Infantino jeered but trophy cheer for Hong Kong

More than 30,000 Hong Kong fans gave Gianni Infantino their raucous verdict on his leadership of world football on Saturday, before and after watching the city team beat Cambodia 2-0 to be crowned inaugural Fifa Asean Challenge Cup champions.

Infantino, the Fifa president, was lustily booed when he delivered the trophy to the pitch alongside local football association president Pui Kwan-kay before kick-off. When he returned to present the spoils to Hong Kong, the stadium PA was raised to an offensive, ear-splitting volume to drown out the jeers.

In between, Matt Orr adroitly turned home a 41st-minute Sun Ming-him delivery, and Everton Camargo converted from the spot shortly after half-time as Hong Kong handsomely avenged an insipid 2-0 defeat by the same opponents four months ago.

A substantial number of the 31,374 Kai Tak Stadium crowd chanted about a “Fifa mafia”, the words emblazoned on one banner, among other insults aimed at the global governing body.

Roberto Losada, the Hong Kong head coach, refused to be drawn on whether Infantino should serve a fourth term as Fifa president after the Swiss lawyer’s plot to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors was exposed this summer.

“It’s not my job to say that; I have enough with my job,” Losada said. “I will focus on that and nothing else.”

On securing silverware just four months after being appointed, Losada added: “We won the Chinese New Year Cup, but today Infantino gave us the trophy, so it’s beautiful.

“The fans were the 12th player. They gave the breath that the players needed during the tough times in the game. Playing 12 against 11 made a huge difference.”

Earlier in the day, Infantino posted on Instagram images of himself alongside Pui and Eric Fok Kai-shan, chairman of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA), from a children’s coaching session at the Jockey Club HKFA Football Training Centre.

Fifa ambassadors Dimitar Berbatov and Pedro, formerly of Manchester United and Barcelona, respectively, were also present.

Fok and Pui both embraced Infantino as Tan Chun-lok, Hong Kong’s outstanding captain, hoisted the silverware.

In a rather saccharine message accompanying the social media pictures, Infantino praised an “inspiring grass roots football activity, bringing joy, active play, and the right tools to children so they can chase their dreams”.

“Empowering young girls and boys through sport is what our mission is all about, because football belongs to everyone everywhere,” Infantino added.

Globetrotting to seal votes ahead of March’s presidential election, the 56-year-old can be expected to next surface on Monday in Indonesia for the final of the top-tier Fifa Asean Cup. The hosts will play Thailand after progressing on goals scored following an eye-popping 9-2 win over Bangladesh on Thursday.

Struggling for fluency and creativity, Hong Kong rarely tested Keo Soksela in the Cambodia goal. Their intensity, energy and urgency overwhelmed the visitors, nonetheless, as the relentless pair of Tan and Wu Chun-ming threw a blanket over Cambodia forwards Iago Bento, Andres Nieto and Sieng Chanthea.

“If it was a friendly I’d have rotated players, but we had to try to get the result and I take responsibility,” Koji Gyotoku, the head coach, said after he picked his strongest team against East Timor on Wednesday, when Losada changed nine players for the victory over Brunei.

“I regret that we lost but the atmosphere in the stadium was great.”

Striker Chanthea had one first-half attempt comfortably held by Pong Cheuk-hei, while Nieto’s most notable contribution was to crumple to the floor following an apparent butt from Tsui Wang-kit. Both players were booked; in the case of Nieto, probably because Zhakypbekov Sanzhar, the referee, had grown tired of his gamesmanship.

Philip Chan Siu-kwan twice shanked good openings off target, while Camargo had a strike from an acute angle deflected wide, before the dependable Sun aimed over a precise ball for Orr to net his third goal in three matches.

A goal scorer against Laos in the opening group fixture, Sun said: “This has been a great opportunity for us, and we are so happy to get this result with our great fans.”

Having benefited from the VAR ruling that decreed Tsui did not deserve a red card, Hong Kong had the video officials to thank again when they were awarded a 58th-minute penalty.

Trying to fasten onto a low cross from Orr, Chan tumbled over the awkwardly outstretched leg of Cheng. Camargo smacked the loose ball into the body of Takaki Oze, but play was brought back for Sanzhar to check his screen. A chant of “penalty” rolled around the arena, the official obliged, and Camargo did the rest.

“It’s been an amazing tournament for us, and we got the result we committed to,” Losada said.

“We’re in the process of changing some things and during this time we’ll sometimes look erratic. In this competition we’ve proved we have the tools. We still have a lot to improve but we’ll ensure the future of Hong Kong football.”

An HKFA spokeswoman intervened to stop Losada answering when he was asked about plans for the November Fifa window.

“Today is a day to enjoy, and from tomorrow we’ll start to work again,” Losada said.