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South China Morning Post
19-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong striker Michael Udebuluzor sacked by China club 24 hours after signing contract
Hong Kong striker Michael Udebuluzor has confirmed his time with Suzhou Dongwu was over before it started, after the club announced it had 'terminated the player's reporting process'. Days of rumour and speculation ended late on Friday, when the mainland club finally commented on a situation sparked by Udebuluzor calling Chinese supporters 'b******s' after after his side's 1-0 defeat to China in the East Asian Football Championship on Tuesday. In response, the 21-year-old was subjected to extreme racial abuse by some supporters on social media, while others called for the China League One club to cancel a contract signed just 24 hours earlier. On Friday, Suzhou published a post on their official WeChat page announcing the signing of two new players. In the comments, one user asked: 'What about Michael?' In response, the club said it had 'terminated the player's reporting process to the team on July 16, and will handle the follow-up in accordance with the law, regulations and contractual agreement'. Michael Udebuluzor (left) fends off China's Zhang Yuning in their match on Tuesday. Photo: AP Udebuluzor had initially declined to comment when asked about the situation, but told the Post on Saturday that he wished 'Suzhou the best, and also all the Chinese supporters the best, even if some were abusive towards me'.
South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong striker angers China fans with post-match comments, asks for forgiveness
Hong Kong striker Michael Udebuluzor has been hammered on social media over comments he made after Tuesday's East Asian Football Championship match against China. China won a tight affair 1-0 in South Korea and following the clash, Udebuluzor addressed the travelling Hong Kong fans, who outnumbered their mainland counterparts, using a megaphone to thank them for their support, adding: 'Look at the Chinese fans, next time we'll beat these b******s'. The incident occurred just 24 hours after the 21-year-old signed for China League One side Suzhou Dongwu, and he has since apologised for his comments. But several social media users on the mainland urged the club to terminate his contract, while the Post has also seen several vile slurs directed at the player. Udebuluzor, however, told the Post that the comments, which were racial in nature, were not a fair representation of his experience with people in China. Hong Kong's Michael Udebuluzor (right) is tackled by China's Xie Wenneng. Photo: HKFA 'I truly believe the Chinese people are not racist,' he said. 'I lived there for many years. I have a lot of Chinese friends and none of them are racist. I don't believe a lot of the people who gave me those comments are racist. I also know they are very sensitive to what I said – they took things out of context.
South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
East Asian Football Championship: Hong Kong's Orr has questions over future of event
Hong Kong striker Matt Orr said the East Asian Football Championship should face questions about its 'timing and organisation', but believed his side could only benefit from playing against the region's better teams. Winners Japan, and South Korea, the hosts and runners-up, were both significantly understrength for the four-team tournament, which was staged outside an official Fifa international window. Until those sides drew an 18,418 crowd for the decisive match on Tuesday, attendances were dismal. Hong Kong lost to Japan in front of 687 fans, while their 1-0 defeat by China attracted only 1,423. An audience of 5,521 watched Orr and his teammates get beaten 2-0 by South Korea. All six games, over eight days, were played an hour south of Seoul in the remote Yongin Mireu Stadium, while in Yongin itself, the uninitiated would have had no idea international football was taking place in the city. 'The tournament can be questioned, the timing for one,' Orr said. 'If it was in a Fifa window, clubs would have to release their players, and every team would be at their strongest. 'I don't think it maximises resources and facilities for players and teams: the stadiums, training pitches and hotels, the overall package. If you want to do this competition properly, it could be improved altogether.'
South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong striker's ‘sour taste' after team fall beneath standards in China loss
Matt Orr admitted that Hong Kong had fallen short of their own standards in their East Asian Football Championship defeat to China on Tuesday. The striker, who scored his side's only goal of the tournament in their opening 6-1 hammering by Japan last week, barely had a sniff against their mainland rivals. Despite Hong Kong being world ranked No 147, 53 places below their opponents, Orr said he 'thought we had a genuine chance to win the game'. 'It's disappointing, we just let it slip,' Orr added. 'We didn't perform to the level we could have, and their goal came from individual errors.' Hong Kong have lost all of their 15 matches across five championship appearances, conceding 45 times in the process. Orr's goal against Japan was only their third, and the first since Lo Chi-kwan scored against China in 2003. Orr claims possession ahead of China centre-back Jiang Shenglong. Photo: Xinhua With China in the and Hong Kong latterly on the up, this had been viewed as an opening to rewrite the record books.
South China Morning Post
15-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
East Asian Football Championship: poor Hong Kong sunk by China
Hong Kong finished their East Asian Football Championship on a low note in Seoul on Tuesday, losing 1-0 to China with an uncharacteristically subdued performance. If earlier tournament defeats by Japan and hosts South Korea had been anticipated, there was genuine optimism that Hong Kong could claim their first competitive victory over the Chinese in 40 years. Those hopes were sunk by Huang Zhengyu, whose 20th-minute strike spared China the ignominy of finishing bottom of the four-team competition. That fate instead belonged to Hong Kong, just as it had on their previous four appearances. Hong Kong would not be blamed if they wanted nothing more to do with these finals, whose ongoing viability will, surely, come into after the five matchdays over nine days attracted a series of desultory attendances. Of the 1,423 watching here, roughly 80 per cent were from Hong Kong, and what an atmosphere they created. Even Huang's breakthrough goal, the midfielder's first in seven China appearances, did nothing to quieten their noise. Following a spell of concerted pressure, Huang latched onto a return pass from striker Zhang before sliding a weak effort past goalkeeper Yapp Hung-fai, who dived the wrong way. Fernando tries to resist the hands-on approach of midfield counterpart Xu Xin. Photo: HKFA Tan Chun-lok had aimed the first attempt when he sent a long ranger scurrying past the post inside 30 seconds. Wang Yudong responded for China with a cross shot that flew narrowly off target.
