Not yet... China have two matches left, both at home against Maldives and Qatar while Hong Kong's last match is away against Qatar. If China and Hong Kong finish level on points, China's superior goal difference would see them pip Hong Kong to second spot. It would be hilarious if they didn't though.
Problem for China now is that putting aside their two blowouts vs. the last place team Bhutan (the points/goals vs. last place teams of the group doesn't count towards best second place team ranking), their point total would still only be 11 even if they won the next two games. Not only that, but right now their goal difference is not that favourable when you take away those goals vs. Bhutan (+2, 3 goals scored and 1 against). The best China can hope for right now is that they win their next two games and also score as many goals as possible vs. Maldives to pad that goal differential. The big wild card in all this will be how seriously Qatar will take it's final two games, due to already having qualified. China at least has both of their final two matches vs. Maldives and Qatar at home while Hong Kong will have to win away at Doha, so on paper China still has an advantage there, but in the end there's a good chance they'll still have to wait for the results from the other groups to see whether they go through to the next round.
The Standard Plucky Hong Kong down but not out Amy Nip and Kenneth Lau Wednesday, November 18, 2015 Hong Kong's football team did their fans proud last night against China - but their chances of moving into the next round of World Cup qualification are hanging by the slimmest of threads. After all the pre-match hype and heat, the clash in a key qualifying game for the World Cup finals in Russia in 2018 was an anti-climax even if it was a pulsating game. For a 0-0 draw was not a result that suited either team. With Qatar the group winners - with six wins from six games and 18 points - the only hope for plucky Hong Kong or China to advance to knockout rounds would be by taking one of the best four runner-up spots from the eight qualifying groups when the fixture list is completed next year. Hong Kong, on 14 points, have one game away to Qatar. China, three points behind Hong Kong, have two remaining - home games against Qatar and the Maldives. Barring at least two major upsets, Hong Kong are going to finish third - and out. Yet China, with a superior goal difference to Hong Kong, would likely need to win handily against Qatar - highly unlikely - as well as the Maldives to have a chance of being one of the four best runners-up. The game was certainly controversial, with what looked like a goal in the 77th minute by China's Yu Dabao ruled out. A Yu shot was saved at point- blank range by Hong Kong goalkeeper and acting captain Yapp Hung-fai. Then the rebound fell to Yu, whose shot hit a post and appeared to bounce over the line before Yapp pulled it back. China's players were adamant it was a goal but an assistant referee said no. Yapp would not be drawn on the incident later, but did say: "A draw is not good for either of the teams." And the result sent the message for others "not to look down on the Hong Kong team." China coach Alain Perrin said it was a match his team should have won. A sea of local fans dressed in red continued to chant slogans and wave banners after the match at Mong Kok Stadium that was marked by three hits on the woodwork - two by China and one by Hong Kong. "We had expected fierce attacks from the China team," Yapp said. "Our team did well under so much pressure." Disappointed China captain Zheng Zhi said: "We had many opportunities, but we didn't have the luck. It's a pity we lost points in the end." Perrin agreed. "We had a lot of chances," he said. Dennis Tse, inside the stadium, spoke for many home fans when he said: "Hong Kong did really put up a good fight especially in defense." Large crowds gathered in more than 10 locations around Hong Kong to watch the game live on big screens. There were about 700 at the University of Hong Kong and 1,500 at the Chinese University. Some 1,200 police officers had been stationed in the stadium area, but in the end they were not needed to deal with anything major. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying wrote in a blog post after the match that both teams demonstrated sportsmanship and that he appreciated their performance. That was from Manila, where he is attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. And Acting Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor talked of a "wonderful match." Hong Kong Football Association chairman Brian Leung Hung-tak said Fifa had sent to Hong Kong highly qualified referees who usually work in later stages of the World Cup - a reflection of the importance attached to the match.
The Standard Cup breaking point Wednesday, November 18, 2015 Hong Kong put on a courageous display to deny China yet again before a roaring home crowd last night even if the effort may ultimately not be enough to save their own longshot quest for a place at the 2018 football World Cup. Goalkeeper Yapp Hung-fai stood tallest as usual, making several timely saves as Hong Kong held China to a 0-0 draw in a tense Group C qualifier at Mong Kok Stadium. In the most contentious moment of the match, Yapp made a double save to deny Yu Dabao in the 76th minute. Yapp could only palm Yu's pointblank header straight back to the striker, whose second-chance header deflected off the post and appeared to cross the line before the goalkeeper clawed the ball back. It was the second time for Hong Kong to frustrate the mainlanders. They also drew 0-0 in Shenzhen in September. The result was a huge blow for China's hopes of reaching the World Cup in Russia. It means that China, with 11 points, are now seven behind group leaders Qatar and three adrift of second-placed Hong Kong, who have played a game more than the mainlanders. With Qatar assured of top spot in the group, China's best hope now is to become one of the four best second-place teams that will progress to the last stage of Asia's road to Russia. China will be at home in their final two matches against Bhutan and Qatar in March, while Hong Kong travel to Qatar in their only remaining game. China have a superior goal difference against Hong Kong in their battle for second place. Qatar are a perfect 18 points following a 3-0 win over Bhutan. In Mong Kok, China also hit the woodwork twice and, though they dominated possession in the second half, just could not find a way past a resolute Hong Kong backline. One of the early chances fell to Yang Xu, whose header in the 27th minute hit the bar. Hong Kong had two good chances in the first half, with Jaimes Mckee denied by the woodwork. Alessandro Ferreira also headed over the bar from a corner just before half-time.
Photo by AM730 China claimed the 77 min effort by Yu Dabao was a goal. It was not seen clearly on TV, but today's AM730 showed the ball has clearly crossed the line. Bad luck China!
We probably broke their World Cup dream again! Hong Kong and China are the real RIVAL now. We shared the same anthem, but we booed and fxxked them all the time last night. WC1986: we kicked them out in Beijing directly on 19 May 1985 WC2006: Fan Chun Yip saved the crucial penalty on 17 Nov 2004 and they lost the total no. of goals to Kuwait WC2018: they lost 4 points from us on 3 Sept & 17 Nov 2015
HKFA CEO Mark Sutcliffe said a very attractive offer is on the table for Hong Kong coach Kim Pan-Gon, so his contract is very likely to be renewed.
South China Morning Post Don't blame the ref, says Hong Kong hero Yapp after China 'goal' controversy Kim Pan-gon's charges deal massive blow to 'Big Brother's' hopes of progressing to next round of World Cup soccer qualifiers Chan Kin-wa and James Porteous Hong Kong hero Yapp Hung-fai said “referee’s decisions are part of the game” after a controversial “missed goal” frustrated China in last night’s draw in World Cup qualifying. China thought they had broken the deadlock – which had lasted since their stalemate in their first clash in Shenzhen in September – when an effort from Yu Dabao appeared to have crossed the line in the 76th minute before Yapp clawed it out. But it was not given by the referree or his linesmen and China were continually frustrated and dealt another massive blow to their hopes of reaching the next round of qualifying. “Referee’s decisions are part of the game. If you can score and play with better quality, then you won't be affected by outside factors,” Yapp said. Hong Kong coach Kim Pan-gon said: “I feel sorry for China if they feel it was the referee who made them draw the match.” It may have been a goalless draw, but Hong Kong fans celebrated it like a World Cup final win. A raucous 6,000-strong sea of red chanted "We are Hong Kong" throughout as their team frustrated the "Big Brother" from across the border for the second time in group C. In truth, the draw did little to boost Hong Kong's hopes of reaching the next round as one of the best second-placed teams, but try finding anyone who cared about that - the four points dropped by China in two "local derbies" they expected to win comfortably have dealt Alain Perrin's team a massive blow - and probably cost China's French manager his job. Hong Kong remain second in the group with 14 points, three ahead of China, who have one game in hand. Hong Kong will have to beat Qatar, who have won all their games and have qualified for the next round, away in March to have any hope of becoming one of the four top second-placed teams who advance. China are at home against the Maldives and Qatar as they try to finish on 17 points. Kim was delighted with the effort of his players, but admitted the result hardly helped his own team's cause. "It was an amazing night for the hard work the boys put in on the field. They made the fans and Hong Kong citizens feel proud," said the South Korean. "I feel happy to get a point and two draws against a stronger rival, as we must respect that China are the better side. "But my philosophy is not to give any goal to any team, and then we can get a minimum of a point. If we score, then it's three. "This is just a small step forward and we must improve. Perhaps the coming Asian Cup qualifiers should be our target." Goalkeeper Yapp had a stunning night, after his acrobatic saves had earlier frustrated the mainlanders in Shenzhen. And like that game, Hong Kong had the woodwork to thank, China hitting the post and bar in the first half. But Hong Kong gave as good as they got, especially in a second half where China looked increasingly clueless and frustrated. They might even have stolen the win late on as China's goalkeeper went up for a corner in a last desperate attack. "We went out to get a result and we tried not to concede any goals. I think we succeeded tonight," said Yapp. "Defence is important to avoid conceding goals and we followed the instructions of the coach to the letter, although we had luck on our side as they hit the woodwork a couple of times," he added. Thankfully, there was only minimal booing heard for the China national anthem, fans likely refraining in fear of further punishment by Fifa. Some fans did try to make their presence felt by holding up signs saying "BOO". Yapp's best save came on 76 minutes when he first stopped a point-blank effort from Yu then, when Yu's second attempt from the rebound hit a post, Yapp dove to spoon it out. Replays showed he might have been fortunate, but the referee ruled no goal. Zhang Linpeng's reckless tackle on Jaimes McKee in the opening minutes set the stage for a frantic high-tempo game - and Zhang's Guangzhou Evergrande clubmate, Zou Zheng, was very lucky to escape punishment for what looked like an elbow on Paulinho. The naturalised players, laughed at by their mainland counterparts as "hardly Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi" made terrific contributions to the result, with Paulinho a constant outlet for Hong Kong's besieged defenders. It was a far more even match than the game in Shenzhen, which China utterly dominated, but the visitors still had more chances. Yang Xu's powerful header beat Yapp in the first half and the woodwork again saved Hong Kong - China hit the frame five times in Shenzhen McKee had Hong Kong's best chance on the half-hour, hitting the crossbar with a header, before Huang Bowen hit a post for China with a low drive. As the match wore on, China seemingly ran out of ideas as Hong Kong coach Kim Pan-gon's game plan worked to perfection. It wasn't a win - but it certainly felt like it.
The Standard Angry China fans demand coach's head Amy Nip Thursday, November 19, 2015 Frenchman Alain Perrin's days as coach of China's football team are numbered if the reactions of mainland fans after their team's goalless draw against Hong Kong on Tuesday are a guide. More than two thirds of 64,933 fans responding to a survey by Sina Sports want him gone after what was seen as a major reverse in a qualifying group game for the 2018 World Cup finals. The result left China longshots to advance further in the competition and followed a 0-0 draw with Hong Kong in Shenzhen in September. Among respondents, 43.9 percent said they felt angry about China's performance at Mong Kok Stadium, while 28.6 percent professed disappointment. And 56.8 percent of them blamed 59-year-old Perrin's "inappropriate strategies," with just under 30 percent saying the team was not up to the mark. Asked outright if Perrin should go, 68.5 percent said yes because he needed to shoulder the biggest share of the blame for an unsatisfactory result. Ninety percent felt the team now has no hope of advancing beyond the group - China is third behind Hong Kong - after the round finishes next year. But 10 percent "believe in miracles." Perrin had said after the match that China would have won if not for a linesman ruling no goal when the ball appeared to have crossed the line. That did not sway Xinhua New Agency, which said in an online commentary that China's performance was "more than terrible." It added the coach "has a certain responsibility" for the bad performance. A player had a say too, with China forward Yang Xu telling "keyboard fighters" not to babble online "while eating instant noodles and wearing flip flops." Away from the result, mainland tabloid Global Times criticized Hong Kong fans for boos during the national anthem and called on world governing body Fifa to penalize the SAR with a heftier fine than the HK$40,000 for such behavior during a Hong Kong game against group leaders Qatar in September. Hong Kong Football Association chairman Brian Leung Hung-tak said Fifa officials monitoring Tuesday's match will submit a report, but he was unsure what punishment would fit the raising of small signs on which "Boo" was printed. Also, he noted, fans lowered signs reading "HK is not China" after FA persuasion. Leung also thanked the Hong Kong team and its coaches plus fans who contributed to a good performance.
China FA has lodged an official complaint to the AFC / FIFA against the referee for disallowing their goal against Hong Kong. It is not likely to affect the 0:0 result though.
http://marksutcliffe.blogspot.hk/2015/11/hong-kong-v-china-footnote.html HKFA CEO Mark Sutcliffe is not happy with China's Global Times. He also questions the CFA's complaint to FIFA about the disallowed goal.
Wow, how desperate are they? With that logic, Germany should also lodge a complaint to FIFA for England's goal in the 1966 World Cup final. It's utterly pointless as it would have no impact on the match result. The scorelines would only be changed if one of the teams forfeited the match or the if match got abandoned due to crowd trouble.
If two players or more were found to be positive in the post match drug test, then the match score would be altered, too. But of course none of this happened. The CFA is one of the most disgraceful football associations in the world. I believe they haven't even paid Jose Camacho his severance fee yet and they now want to fire Alain Perrin.
Zimbabwe didn't pay severance fee to their ex-coach-> banned for FIFA World Cup qualifier immediately China didn't pay severance fee to Camacho for several months -> still here and blah blah blah on the disallowing the goal in Hong Kong & booing us the shared anthem. Who is the most disgraceful one? It should be FIFA.
The Standard Stiffer penalties feared for boos at China clash Kenneth Lau Wednesday, November 25, 2015 The International Federation of Association Football has opened an investigation into Hong Kong fans who booed the national anthem at the home World Cup qualifying match against China. The Hong Kong Football Association received an official letter from Fifa yesterday about the disciplinary investigation, and is asked to provide a report and possible evidence of what transpired before and during the match at Mong Kok Stadium on November 17. "Today, the HKFA received an official letter from Fifa, announcing that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the HKFA," the association said. The letter also confirmed that the HKFA appeared to be in violation of Fifa regulations. It is asked to submit a statement with any supporting evidence to Fifa by Tuesday. The disciplinary committee of Fifa will release the result of its investigation before the end of December. On October 5, the HKFA was fined 5,000 Swiss francs (HK$38,053) by Fifa after fans booed as the national anthem was played before the match against Qatar on September 8. Fans also booed the anthem in two earlier qualifying matches against Bhutan and the Maldives in June. HKFA vice chairman Pui Kwan-kay said he expects Fifa to impose a stiffer punishment, such as a heavier fine or force Hong Kong to play a match behind closed doors. "We have been punished once, and as we appear to have breached regulations again, the disciplinary committee can impose a heavier punishment," Pui said. But he believes points will neither be deducted, nor will the team be suspended because the match against China went smoothly and there were no on-field incidents involving fans. Pui denounced a "small group of silly fans" who booed the anthem. "They should not vent their anger in sports, because sports should not mix with politics." Edmund Fung Siu-man, a core member of fans' group Power of Hong Kong, said he and others had conveyed the HKFA appeal not to boo the anthem to their friends. "However, some fans made their own choice and [booed the anthem], which means they need to be responsible for their behavior," Fung said. Hong Kong's next and final World Cup qualifying match is away to Qatar on March 24.
wtf if Hong Kong gets into trouble for disrespecting other nations national anthem what about the other nations in the past. For example Lebanon hosting Korea. This is BS. everything should be fair and not be influenced by money.
Actually, Hong Kong, Macau and China PR shared the same anthem, March of the Volunteer Army in all FIFA Class A matches. The fans in Hong Kong started booing their own anthem in this year, especially since China FA released the posters to "remind" their players and fans that Hong Kong has yellow, black and white skin players in this June. It's just like Scotland fans booed "God Save the Queen" in the past and Barcelona & Bilbao fans booed the Spain national anthem before the Copa del Rey final. FIFA punished HKFA about 40,000 Hong Kong Dollar for Hong Kong fans booed their own anthem and a person threw a packaged drink to players tunnel during Hong Kong vs Qatar in this September.
Aussie fans boo pretty much every time an opposition anthem is played at home because it's "tradition". Hong Kong fans boo their own anthem and they get punished? Perhaps Hong Kong should get their own anthem like Scotland and Wales to save themselves further trouble. While neither of these nations have an official national anthem, they have adopted their own songs to be played before sporting events.
I remembered that the normalization committees of the Football Association of Maldives only extended till 31 December 2015. Is there any news (or old news) about FAM after the extension?