Mateja Kezman will be back with South China for the 2012 Asian Challenge Cup in Hong Kong. He will therefore face off against Freddie Ljungberg on 23 January when their teams face each other. South China (Hong Kong, host), Shimizu S-Pulse (Japan), Guangzhou R&F (China) and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (Korea) will take part in this two day event. Tickets available online at http://venue.cityline.com/utsvInternet/internet/action/event.do The company that is helping to organize the event is seeing this year's tournament as a test and if it is successful it will become an annual regular event, featuring the top club teams from the EAFF.
South China Morning Post Kezman, Ljungberg to clash in HK Former Chelsea striker, who played with South China last season, returns to city to cross swords with ex-Arsenal midfielder for Lunar New Year tournament Chan Kin-wa The popular Lunar New Year tournament later this month will have a hint of the English Premier League when the former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman lines up against Freddie Ljungberg, the ex-Arsenal midfielder. Kezman (pictured) is returning to Hong Kong to play in the four-team tournament for South China, for whom he scored seven goals during a four-month stint here last season, while Ljungberg will be competing for J-League side Shimizu S-Pulse. The two last faced each other in the Premier League in 2004 and will cross paths again on the opening day of the tournament on January 23. South China convenor Steven Lo Kit-sing is delighted that Kezman has agreed to return. "He is a quality player and impressed both the fans and the club when he played for us," said Lo. "He misses Hong Kong very much and did not hesitate when I asked him to come back as a guest player." Kezman joined BATE Borisov of Belarus in August and played for them in the European Champions League. He left Belarus after the team's final Champions League group game against Barcelona last month, having failed in 10 appearances to score for the club. Former Sweden international Ljungberg joined Shimizu in September from Scottish club Celtic and has since played six matches for the J-League side. "Ljungberg has been a key player for us since his arrival and we know he is also popular in Hong Kong," club manager Hara Yasushi said. The other two teams in the tournament are 2010 Asian Champions League winners Seongnam Ilhwa of South Korea and Guangzhou R&F, who have been promoted to the top-tier Chinese Super League. The winners on the opening day will meet in the final on January 26, when they will be battling for the top prize of US$60,000. Guangzhou R&F chairman Zhang Bin, while pleased with his team's promotion, said they would not follow the lead of another Guangzhou-based side, Evergrande, who were crowned Super League champions in their debut season last year. Evergrande spent millions on recruiting star players, including Argentinian midfielder Dario Conca, who came with a price tag of US$10 million from Brazilian side Fluminense. "We won't go on a spending spree like Evergrande," Zhang said, adding that the club had yet to finalise any new signings for the new season starting in March. More than 20,000 people watched the two-day tournament last year, when Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda took home the trophy after defeating Evergrande in a penalty shootout in the final. Tickets for the tournament are priced at HK$280 and HK$180, available from Monday.
Mateja Kezman announced that he will hang up his boots after the second match of the Asian Challenge Cup on 26 January in Hong Kong. It is such a shame as I believe he is only 32 and can still play in MLS, A-League or J-League...
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_...4&sid=35113413&con_type=1&d_str=20120119&fc=4 The Standard Kezman ready for SAR swan song Ng Ka-Ki Thursday, January 19, 2012 Serbian star striker Mateja Kezman will retire after playing for South China at next week's Lunar New Year Cup at Hong Kong Stadium. "He said he really misses the Hong Kong fans and the atmosphere here, so he has decided to play his last two games here," Caroliners chairman Steven Lo Kit-sing said. "We want to have some special ceremony for him in the game, but we are still deciding how to do it." Kezman, 32, is a former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain star. He played for South China last season alongside former Manchester United midfield star Nicky Butt. Kezman will fly in tomorrow to reinforce South China's squad for the popular holiday showpiece to be played on Monday and Thursday. South China face J-League side Shimizu S-Pulse at 6.30pm on Monday for a place in the final, with Guangzhou R&F taking on KLeague outfit Seongnam Ilhwa in the 4pm opener. The winners of the two matches will face off in Thursday's final. Kezman is coming off a stint with BATE Borisov, playing in five Champions League games.
South China Morning Post HK matches will be Kezman's last Serbian striker to appear for South China in Asian Challenge Cup before hanging up his boots for good Chan Kin-wa Former Serbia international Mateja Kezman will finish his glittering career in Hong Kong after playing for South China in the Asian Challenge Cup next week. The 32-year-old striker, whose former clubs include PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, will return to Hong Kong tomorrow after agreeing to play for the Caroliners in the four-team tournament to celebrate Lunar New Year. "Kezman likes Hong Kong very much and has had a lot support from fans during his time here," South China convenor Steven Lo Kit-sing said. "If he wants a place to call it a day in his soccer career, there is no better place than Hong Kong. "This is an honour for Hong Kong soccer. We will arrange some activities for him on the second day of the tournament, which will be Mateja's last match as he bids farewell to a career of almost two decades. We will reserve the number 38 jersey he used in Hong Kong." South China will take on Japan League side Shimizu S-Pulse on the opening day of the tournament, which also features Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F and former Asian Champions League winners Seongnam Ilhwa Chuma of South Korea, at the Hong Kong Stadium on January 23. The winners of the two opening matches will battle for the cup three days later while the losers will face off for the third place. S-Pulse will be headed by Freddie Ljungberg, the former Arsenal star who played against Kezman in the English Premier League in 2004 when the latter was with Chelsea. "It will be nice to see them renew their rivalry," Lo said. "With Kezman's draw-power, we are expecting a crowd of about 15,000 on each of the two days, a 40 per cent increase on last year's tournament." Kezman joined Zemun in Belgrade as a 15-year-old before moving to Partizan, the country's leading club, four years later. He then joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven from 2000 to 2003, scoring 35 goals in 2003 to help them win the league title. After playing for a long list of European clubs, he moved to South China in December 2010, along with former Manchester United star Nicky Butt. The Serbian scored seven goals during his four-month stint with the Caroliners. The influence of the two foreigners, however, was not enough to help South China progress beyond the group stage of the AFC Cup. The Caroliners also lost the all-important local league title to Kitchee, a result which kept them out of this season's AFC Cup. After leaving South China, Kezman had a short stint with Belarusian side Bate Borisov and played for them in the Uefa Champions League.
Same score different day. Third place play-off: South China 1:1 (1:3) Guangzhou R&F Final: Shimizu S-Pulse 1:5 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJK4qCNn05o"]2012 Asian Challenge Cup Final - Seongnam vs Shimizu - YouTube[/ame]
