Hong Kong's men's football team on Tuesday qualified for the Asian Cup for the first time in 54 years after the Philippines lost to Palestine in their final qualifying match.

Hong Kong punched their ticket for next year's tournament with a group game to spare.

The team topped their group with six points before their match against India on Tuesday night. However, in front of a partisan home crowd in Kolkata, Hong Kong were beaten 4-0 by the Indians to seal second place.

With five second-placed teams advancing from six groups, Hong Kong were guaranteed a spot even if they lost.

Goalkeeper Edmond Yapp told RTHK he is proud to be part of the Hong Kong squad.

"I'm very happy that our team have this incredible achievement. It's an honour to represent Hong Kong, especially when we're victorious," he said.

"Qualifying [for the finals] makes everyone who's supporting us proud, and this motivates us to achieve more."

On its social media page sharing the news, the Hong Kong Football Association thanked fans "for witnessing this moment together".
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Last updated: 2022-06-15 HKT 01:48