Hundreds of eager Hong Kong football fans flocked to Kai Tak Sports Park hours before the historic and sell-out AFC Asian Cup qualifier against India on Tuesday evening.
Tickets for the highly anticipated first match at the new 50,000-seat stadium were sold out well ahead of time, with fans spotted queuing up at Kai Tak Mall for jerseys and official merchandise.
The match, which kicks off at 8pm, will mark the first time the Hong Kong team has played an international match at its new home ground in front of an expected record-breaking attendance, with games previously played at the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium.
Gordon Hui, a 20-year-old student from Hong Kong, voiced his unwavering support for the team, expressing hope of witnessing a victory on what promises to be a memorable occasion.
“Just by stats, we’re not doing very well,” Hui admitted. “But it’s the vibes and the fans. So we’ve got like 50,000 fans today. We’re supporting our team. We’re supporting our city, our country. So I think they are going to try their best,” Hui said.
“I see many people already buying Hong Kong team T-shirts and the new jerseys, but I’ve got it already, so I’m just waiting around to see if I can get other souvenirs.”
More than 200 fans lined up at the mall before 11am in the hope of getting their hands on the limited number of Hong Kong jerseys, with the store cutting the queue before the st opened for sales at noon.
