Hong Kong’s under-22 side have been tipped to benefit from measuring themselves against leading European talent, after being drawn in a “group of death” for next month’s HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens.
Leicester City, AZ Alkmaar and hosts Football Club will await Hong Kong U22 in a men’s tournament featuring 16 teams, from eight countries or regions, divided into four groups of four.
“It’s great for local players to play against players who might be future Premier League stars,” John Morling, the local association’s technical director, said on Wednesday. “They might discover they’re not miles away from that level, and realise that if they do more technically, tactically and physically, they could become professionals.”
The Sevens, which will be staged over three days from May 16, also includes a six-team women’s tournament, and eight teams of over-35s vying for the masters prize.
Morling said his uplifting experiences from competing twice in the Sevens, in his former role as Brighton & Hove Albion academy head, had an impact on his decision to come to Hong Kong.
He said that for Brighton, and fellow Premier League entrants Leicester, West Ham United and Aston Villa, the Sevens provided a “completely different technical and tactical challenge”.
