Hong Kong team Kitchee made history at the Hong Kong Football Club earlier today when then beat some of the top sides in Liverpool (England) and Rangers (Scotland) to advance to the Final against another Glasgow side, Celtic.

Kitchee completed a dream season when they beat Scottish giants Celtic 1-0 to win the HKFC Citibank International Soccer Sevens on Sunday (15 May).

Nine days after clinching the Hong Kong league title for the first time in 47 years, Kitchee delighted local fans by adding the Soccer Sevens crown.

Spanish striker Roberto Losada (pictured above) was their hero, scoring the only goal midway through the second half of the final at Hong Kong Football Club.

“It is a special year for us,” he said. “To win the league and then the Soccer Sevens for the first time is a dream come true. We can all go away on holiday now and be very happy with our season.

“We were confident coming into this tournament, although we knew it would be tough, especially against the English and Scottish teams. We played with 100 per cent commitment and we controlled the ball well in the final.”

The final was a tense affair with the teams evenly matched but, once Losada made the breakthrough, the seasoned professionals of Kitchee played out the game in comfort against a youthful Celtic side.

Kitchee became the first Hong Kong team to win the Soccer Sevens since Instant Dict beat Chelsea in 2000.

On a day of upsets at Hong Kong Football Club, Kitchee put paid to Scottish visitors Rangers and English giants Liverpool on their way to clinching the title.

An Ubay Luzardo penalty and a drive from Lam Ka Wai gave them a 2-0 win over Rangers in the quarter-finals.

They then stunned Liverpool – who had looked the tournament’s form team – with a 2-1 success in the semi-finals. Lo Kwan Yee put Kitchee ahead before the Reds’ Nathan Eccleston brought the scores level. But Liverpool’s army of Hong Kong fans were left disappointed when Jose Diaz popped up with the golden goal winner in extra time.

Kitchee celebrate winning the HKFC Citibank International Soccer Sevens after their 1-0 victory over Scottish giants Celtic on Sunday (15 May). Pic: John Donker/Hong Kong Football Club.

Liverpool delighted their army of fans in Hong Kong with a string of powerful displays at the HKFC Citibank International Soccer Sevens on Saturday (14 May).

The Reds – making their debut in the tournament – won all three of their group games without conceding a goal to march into the Cup quarter-finals.

Striker David Amoo got them moving with the only goal against Hong Kong U18s and the same player was on target again, with Spanish wonderkid Suso notching a double, in a 3-0 victory over the local Yau Yee League Select.

Liverpool then turned on the gas in their Group A decider against Celtic, earning a convincing 3-0 win thanks to a brace from Nathan Eccleston and a neat finish from Tom Ince – son of former Liverpool and England star Paul.

“They played well and stayed focused,” said delighted Reds coach Pep Segura. “It’s a new experience for the players, it’s a big pitch for seven-a-side and it’s a little slow because it has not rained. But at this moment they are doing OK.”

The young Liverpool players departed to huge cheers and were besieged by excited autograph hunters as they headed for the dressing room.

“This is the power of the club, the name of Liverpool is famous throughout the world and it is fantastic to get a reception like this,” added Segura, whose team will play Hong Kong First Division side Citizen in the Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

Strong start for Villa

Aston Villa made a strong start to the defence of their Soccer Sevens crown with three straight victories to top their group. Harry Forrester and Andreas Weimann were the stars of the show, bagging four goals each.

The duo scored a brace apiece as Villa beat the HKFC Captain’s Select 4-0, then Forrester netted another double and Weimann was on target again in a 3-0 victory over English non-league side Eastleigh.

Weimann and captain Jonathan Hogg were the scorers as the Soccer Sevens champions beat Citizen 2-0 to win Group C.

“It’s a perfect start – we’ve come here and done the job that we had to do,” said Hogg. “The team was solid today and we just need to keep it going for tomorrow. The teams are a lot different and play different styles but we coped well with everything that came at us.

“Andreas and Harry are doing really well, they’ve done most of the work for us and scored some great goals. You’ve got to beat the best if you want to win the tournament and no matter who we get we will put up a fight, as we always do.”

Villa – five-time winners of the Soccer Sevens since the tournament was first held in 1999 – will play Celtic in the quarter-finals.

In the Masters competition, the former English Premier League professionals of the Citibank All Stars qualified for the Cup quarter-finals but had to be content with second place in Group B.

Top Class FC – a team comprising ex-Hong Kong First Division stars – finished ahead of them after the two teams played out a goalless draw in the group decider.

The tournament concludes on Sunday with the knockout stages of both the Main and Masters competitions.

Aston Villa’s Andreas Weimann takes on the Eastleigh defence during the Premiership club’s 3-0 victory at the HKFC Citibank International Soccer Sevens on Saturday (14 May). Pic: John Donker/Hong Kong Football Club

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Aston Villa won the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens for a record fifth time yesterday (Sunday, 16 May) with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Glasgow Rangers.

Villa raced into a three-goal lead and then held off a strong fightback from their Scottish opponents in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Hong Kong Football Club.

Two players with first team experience – striker Nathan Delfouneso and midfielder Marc Albrighton – made the difference for Villa.

Delfouneso put them ahead after just three minutes and Albrighton added a brace to stun a Rangers team who had entered the final without conceding a goal in the whole tournament.

But inspirational Rangers captain Andrew Shinnie – one of the stars of the weekend – netted a penalty on the stroke of half-time and added a stunning second soon after the break to set up a dramatic finale.

Delfouneso and midfielder Harry Forrester both hit the bar for Villa in a frantic last few minutes.

Rangers, for whom midfielder Shinnie finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with eight goals, had to settle for second best again after losing last year’s final to city rivals Celtic.

Villa academy manager Bryan Jones said his coaching staff had come up with a game plan and the players had executed it perfectly.

“We had seen Rangers play and we knew they were very strong in midfield, Shinnie is an excellent player, but we felt we could get at them down the wings and I think it paid off,” he said. “I thought our wide players were excellent, especially Marc out on the right.”

Jones said first team experience was not the only reason Albrighton and Delfouneso stood out during the weekend. “Marc and Nathan have also been to the Soccer Sevens before and that counts because seven-a-side is completely different. You can play in the Premiership and still struggle in this form of football.”

“They know how to play it and I think their experience told in the end. We think they’ve both got a great future in the game.

“Martin O’Neill [the Villa manager] takes tremendous interest in the academy players and if I don’t text him in the next five minutes to tell him the result I’ll be in trouble! He’s very keen.”

Jones said Villa, winners of the trophy four times between 2002 and 2008, felt they owed it to the organisers to bring their strongest possible squad.

“We’ve been coming here for eight or nine years now and we’re so well looked after that we almost feel duty bound to bring one or two ‘name’ players to help bring in the fans. It’s our payback to the organisers,” he said.

Albrighton admitted Rangers had made Villa fight all the way. “It was a great team performance,” he said. “We made hard work of it but we got there in the end.

“Rangers beat us in the semi-finals last year so we knew they were a good side. After we went 3-0 up we got a little bit complacent but we saw it out and it was brilliant to get the victory.”

Earlier, Villa were superb in beating Ajax 3-1 in the quarter-finals, Albrighton scoring twice in-between a fantastic strike from Delfouneso. Forrester was the star of their 3-0 semi-final victory over West Ham United, netting the first two goals before Delfouneso tapped in the third after brilliant approach work from Albrighton.

Rangers had exacted revenge against Celtic for last year’s final defeat, winning their quarter-final clash 2-0 with a pair of Shinnie goals. Shinnie was also the architect of their 3-0 win over Sunderland in the semi-finals, earning and converting a penalty and slamming in a free-kick to give his team a two-goal half-time lead, then setting up Rory Loy for the third.

Soccer Sevens debutants Ajax gained some consolation for their quarter-final defeat by Villa when they beat Celtic 2-0 in the second-tier Shield final – Nathaniel Will and Vlatko Lazic getting the goals.

Aston Villa captain Ciaran Clark (holding trophy) leads the celebrations (Pic:Create Images/Soccer Sevens)

Masters Competition

In the Masters Cup final, KFC Tokyo – a team of expatriate amateur players mainly based in the Japanese capital – secured a surprise 2-1 win over the Andy Cole Jura All Stars.

Manchester United great Cole put his team ahead with a lethal shot early in the game – his sixth goal of the weekend – but KFC Tokyo pulled level within a minute with a brilliant long-range strike from Malaysian midfielder Punanseveran.

French striker David Serene scored the winner with a superb solo effort and the All Stars finished with six men after ex-Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair was shown the red card by Premier League referee Martin Atkinson for two bookable offences.

“We’re very happy, we’ve been coming to the Soccer Sevens for a long time so it’s nice to finally win a trophy,” said KFC Tokyo captain Kirk Neureiter. “We lost in the Plate final four years ago so to win the Cup this time, especially against a team containing so many great players, is just a fantastic feeling.”

See at the Soccer Sevens in 2011!

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The HKFC IP Glogal Hong Kong Soccer Sevens started amidst great anticipation at the Hong Kong Football Club last night.

While most of the foreign players adapted quickly to the hot and humid Hong Kong weather, not everyone found the going easy.  

The Andy Cole Jura All Stars went down to a surprise 1-0 defeat to Singapore Cricket Club Tigers in Pool D – former Singaporean international Nahar bin Daud grabbing the only goal in the first half.

Manchester United legend Cole stayed on the bench until four minutes from time, when he came on to loud cheers from the crowd, but was unable to rescue his team.

SCC Tigers manager Tony Moore was delighted with the result. “We didn’t play well here last year so to come out and get a win like that was great,” he said.

“Obviously when you’re drawn against the ex-pros you’re happy, although you know it’s going to be tough. But even though they had a lot of possession, I thought we played quite well. We’ve got some decent players.”

Former English football legend Andy Cole in action at the HKFC last night (Pic: Create Images/Soccer Sevens)

The Stars of Tomorrow

The HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens boasts a total of 32 teams taking part – 16 in the Main competition and 16 in the Masters.

The Main competition – which got underway today (Saturday) has become famous for unearthing the “stars of tomorrow” while the Masters section features former elite players from Europe’s top leagues.

The Main competition has a strong English Premier League presence with four-time Soccer Sevens champions Aston Villa, West Ham United, Birmingham City and debutants Sunderland.

Dutch giants Ajax are making their first appearance in the tournament and are joined by defending champions Glasgow Celtic and the team they defeated in last year’s final, city rivals Rangers.

The HKFC IP Global Soccer Sevens concludes tomorrow with a day pass (Sunday) priced at HK$120 per adult. Children under the age of 16 are admitted free.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is but mere days away but alas, Howzit-HongKong.com can confirm that we will miss out on Afrika’s grandest gathering. 

That said, we will continue to do what we do best, get YOU to go and experience the warmth and love that only our homeland can give. 

HongKongers LOVE football, however you have to experience the heart and soul of the sport; that there is more to the game than just to win or lose a fistfull of dollars at your nearest HK Jockey Club outlet.

Go to Afrika in June 2010.  You will find it there.

Every great event needs a good soundtrack. Come June 2010, when we sit in front of our tv screen here in Hong Kong, sipping our Nederburg Twenty10 Cabernet Sauvignon to balance out the sweetness of our favourite char siu bao, all the time watching the world visiting South Africa, this will be our soundtrack to the 2010 FIFA World Cup!

Welcome to my home and…

Feel Afrika.

Mike Jansen

“We came, We saw, We tried!” Cheers Akon for the Video: Oh Africa

Nederburg’s Twenty10 range is available at your nearest Park ‘n Shop.

South African readers, please click on the banner below to support Howzit! (only a click needed)

Organisers of the 2010 HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens announced today (13 April) that Dutch football giants Ajax will make their debut at next month’s Soccer Sevens.

Another English club in the form of Sunderland will also make their first appearance in the tournament and will be joined by Premier League rivals Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Ham United.

Last year’s Soccer Sevens winners Glasgow Celtic are returning to defend their title while the team they beat in the final, arch rivals Rangers, will also be back.

Former Manchester United and England striker Andy Cole will lead his own team in the Masters competition while other ex-Premier League players will feature for the IP Global All Stars, Southampton Veterans and Nottingham Forest All Stars.

Cole was guest of honour at Hong Kong Football Club earlier today as the draw for the 2010 tournament took place.

Andy Cole receives his HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens team shirt from Tim Murphy, MD IP Global (Pic: Thomas Lam/Soccer Sevens)

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said. “Hong Kong is a lovely place and I’m looking forward to coming back out here next month to play some football and to enjoy myself.

“I’m in the gym four times a week, so I keep myself in shape. I’ve got a charity game for United on 1 May so I’ll be using that to get myself ready for the Soccer Sevens.”

Ajax rank as one of the world’s greatest clubs, with four European Cup triumphs and countless domestic titles to their name, and tournament organisers were delighted to announce their participation.

Soccer Sevens chairman Tony Bratsanos added:  “It is no exaggeration to say that the Ajax youth academy has produced more truly great players than any other club in world football, including the legendary Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert, to name just a few. We are extremely excited to be seeing the next generation of Ajax stars in action here in Hong Kong.

“Andy Cole, meanwhile, has been one of the modern era’s great strikers. He won the Champions League, five Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Manchester United, was capped 15 times for England, and ranks second in the all-time list of top Premiership scorers with 187 goals – all adding up to a truly fantastic career. I’m sure Hong Kong fans are looking forward to seeing him in action.”

The 2010 HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens will be held from 14-16 May at Hong Kong Football Club with a total of 32 teams taking part, 16 in the Main competition and 16 in the Masters.

Celtic’s status as defending champions will make them even more determined to put on a good performance at next month’s HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens, according to club legend Danny McGrain.

The Scottish giants are looking forward to returning to Hong Kong Football Club, scene of their triumph a year ago when they beat arch-rivals Rangers 1-0 in the final.

“We’re delighted to be returning to Hong Kong in May and, as last year’s winners, it’s very important for us to return to try and retain the trophy we won,” said coach McGrain.

“The tournament is very well organised and has good facilities. It’s an important tournament for us and has in the past resulted in good football.

“The short games obviously suit the humid atmosphere and ball control is very important as you don’t want to be chasing the game in the kind of heat we will be playing in.”

McGrain, one of the all-time great fullbacks who played 663 games for Celtic and earned 62 Scotland caps, said the trip to the Soccer Sevens would also bring other benefits to the squad.

“Hong Kong is a fascinating place to visit and it will be good for the young players to see other cultures. It’s always a fantastic life experience for them,” he said.

The 2010 HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens will be held from 14-16 May with a total of 32 teams taking part, 16 in the Main competition and 16 in the Masters.

Since it was first held in 1999, the tournament – sanctioned by the Hong Kong Football Association – has developed into the world’s premier seven-a-side soccer event.

The Main competition has become famous for unearthing the “stars of tomorrow” while the Masters section features former elite players from Europe’s top leagues.

Celtic have been regular visitors to the tournament, twice finishing runners-up in the Main competition – to Blackburn Rovers in 1999 and Aston Villa in 2008 – before winning it for the first time last year.

They have unearthed plenty of stars in the years they have been competing in the Soccer Sevens, including Stephen McManus, Craig Beattie, Shaun Maloney and Liam Miller.

One of the stars of last year’s victory, winger Niall McGinn, has made 15 appearances for the first team in the Scottish Premier League this season, scoring two goals.

Striker Paul McGowan, who scored the winner in last year’s final, has also featured for the first team this season with the highlight being a dramatic injury-time goal that rescued a 3-3 draw for Celtic away to Rapid Vienna in the Europa League.

Manchester United legend Andy Cole, who has entered his own all-star team in the tournament, will be guest of honour at the tournament’s official draw.

Tickets for the 2010 HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens will go on sale from Thursday, 15 April.

A weekend pass (Saturday and Sunday) will cost HK$200 per adult while a day pass (Saturday or Sunday) will be HK$120 per adult. Admission on the Friday evening is free for all spectators while children under the age of 16 are admitted free throughout the tournament.

Manchester United legend Andy Cole will lead his own all-star team at this year’s HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens.

The Old Trafford great will captain a star-studded line-up of former teammates and friends in the three-day spectacle at Hong Kong Football Club in May.

Cole, a key striker in United’s famous Treble-winning team of 1999, said he was looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m delighted to be coming to Hong Kong to take part in the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens,” he said. “I’ll be bringing some old friends and teammates with me and we’re looking forward to enjoying ourselves and hopefully giving the fans plenty of entertainment.

“It is recognised as the premier sevens tournament worldwide and, while it’s played in a friendly spirit, we’ll certainly be coming with the aim of winning. As former professionals, we never lose that desire to do well and I can assure everyone in Hong Kong that we’ll be very competitive.”

The Andy Cole All Stars will feature former United players David May, Lee Martin, Clayton Blackmore and Andy Ritchie.

They will be joined by a trio of former England internationals – midfielder Michael Thomas, defender Ugo Ehiogu and goalkeeper Ian Walker, plus ex-Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair.

Thomas will be forever remembered as the scorer of one of the most famous goals in English football history, the last-gasp winner that won the league title for Arsenal against Liverpool at Anfield in 1989.

Manchester United great Andy Cole will grace the pitch at the Soccer Sevens (Pic:Two Up Front/Getty Images)

Cole won the Champions League, five Premier League titles and two FA Cups with United in a glittering career.

Capped 15 times for England, he also played for Newcastle, Blackburn, Fulham and Manchester City, among others, and he ranks second behind Alan Shearer in the all-time list of top Premiership scorers with 187 goals.

Cole is looking forward to returning to Hong Kong, having previously played in the territory on pre-season tours with United.

“I know from my years at Old Trafford that football fans in Hong Kong are extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the game so it will be a pleasure to play in front of them again,” he said.

And he promised he and his teammates would be out and about in the community during their Soccer Sevens trip.

“It’s also great to know that a key focus of the Soccer Sevens is youth football and community involvement,” he said. “We’re relishing the chance to meet people, conduct some coaching clinics and do our part to reach out to the fans. It promises to be a memorable week.”

The 2010 HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens will be held from 14-16 May with a total of 32 teams taking part, 16 in the Main competition and 16 in the Masters.

Since it was first held in 1999, the tournament – sanctioned by the Hong Kong Football Association – has developed into the world’s premier seven-a-side soccer event.

The Main competition has become famous for unearthing the “stars of tomorrow” while the Masters section features former elite players from Europe’s top leagues.

The Andy Cole All Stars will be one of the top attractions in the Masters together with two other teams containing former Premiership players, the IP Global All Stars and the Hood All Stars.

The full line-up of teams in each competition will be announced next month, when the tournament draw will also be held.

Tickets for the tournament will go on sale shortly. As in previous years, all children under the age of 16 will be allowed in free.

Glasgow Celtic won the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens for the first time on Sunday (May 31) with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over arch rivals Rangers. 

Glasgow Celtic display the trophy after winning the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens at Hong Kong Football Club on Sunday, May 31.

A second-half strike from Paul McGowan was enough to secure the trophy in front of a near-capacity crowd at Hong Kong Football Club. 

“It was a fantastic spectacle and both teams played the game to win,” said Celtic manager Willie McStay. “There were plenty of incidents and both teams had their chances, so it was a great game for the fans.

“It’s my third year here – we lost in the semi-finals two years ago, lost in the final last year and now we’ve won it, so I’m absolutely delighted.  We have a great record against Rangers at youth and reserve level and it’s always sweet to beat them.”

McGowan struck shortly after half-time following brilliant approach work from flying winger Niall McGinn. 

Rangers – missing captain Andrew Shinnie through suspension after he picked up two yellow cards earlier in the day – fought back but Archie Campbell missed a simple chance to equalise in the final minute after a goalmouth scramble.

McStay was full of praise for the Soccer Sevens as a development tool for young players.  “Players have to think, keep the ball, show good movement and be patient. It’s a lot of the same things they have to do in 11-a-side but here there’s no room for error.

“I think it’s a fantastic format and a great experience for these young players. Some of them have never been outside Britain, never mind Europe.” 

Celtic’s road to the final began with a 3-1 quarter-final victory over Hong Kong side Citizen, with captain Ryan Conroy and Mark Millar (2) on target. Then a Conroy penalty secured a 1-0 win over the Australian U18s national team in a hard-fought semi-final.

Rangers beat West Ham United 2-1 in a thrilling quarter-final that was settled by Steven Lennon’s golden goal winner in extra time.  They then knocked out holders Aston Villa with an outstanding 3-1 semi-final victory. Goals from Shinnie, Rory Loy and Lennon put Rangers in command before Villa’s Marc Albrighton replied, but the holders were unable to mount a comeback.

In the Masters competition, Golden Rainbow, a team comprising former Hong Kong league professionals, won the Cup with a 2-1 victory over charity side Football For Life. 

Lee Fuk Wing put Golden Rainbow ahead in the first half but former France international Didier Six scored a late equaliser with a diving header.

That sent the game into four-a-side sudden-death extra time and Yeung Kin Keung’s spectacular volley won it for Golden Rainbow with just seconds remaining. 

Golden Rainbow had earlier beaten the IP Global All Stars 1-0 with an extra time golden goal from Lau Chi Yuen.  The Cup success delighted Golden Rainbow coach Simon Wong. “It’s great to see this team of local players and friends enjoying the tournament and playing in such a great atmosphere,” he said.

“We’ve played in this tournament for many years and we know that when it comes to four against four, you have to use your goalkeeper as an outfield player so you can keep possession.” 

Defeat in the semi-final came as a shock to the IP Global All Stars – who included former England internationals Des Walker, Rob Lee and Chris Powell and ex-Scotland striker Gordon Durie in their line-up – as they had not conceded a goal in the tournament until that point.

“We probably did enough to win the game, so we’re disappointed,” said captain Walker. “We’re all ex-professionals and we came here to win.

“But it’s a fantastic tournament, it’s really well organised and they look after the players. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and Hong Kong is a great city.”

Here are the results of the Cup Quarter-finals of the HKFC IP Global Soccer Sevens:

Game 61    11:36  Cup QF1   Glasgow Rangers vs West Ham United 2 – 1

Game 62   12:01 Cup QF2   Australian U18s vs Tuen Mun Progoal 2 – 0

Game 63   12:26 Cup QF3   Aston Villa vs Eastleigh FC 3 – 0

Game 64   12:51 Cup QF4   Glasgow Celtic vs Citizen 3 – 1

The line up for the Shield & Cup Semi-finals are:

Game 71   15:04   Shield SF1   West Ham United vs Eastleigh FC
Game 72   15:29   Shield SF2   Tuen Mun Progoal vs Citizen

Game 73   15:54   Cup SF1   Glasgow Rangers vs Aston Villa
Game 74   16:19   Cup SF2   Australian U18s vs Glasgow Celtic