SAR footballers will share HK$1 million in prize money if they defeat Singapore in their coming Asian Cup qualifying match, the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) announced on Wednesday.

A victory in the crucial game, which takes place on November 18, would secure Hong Kong a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.

HKFA chairman Eric Fok said the association would fully fund the prize as a gesture of encouragement and gratitude for the team’s efforts.

Tickets for the match at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium sold out within two hours of going on sale on November 7.

Despite growing excitement around Team Hong Kong, the local premier league struggles with low attendance rates, averaging just 650 spectators per game this season.

HKFA general secretary Charles Cheung said the association aims to boost attendance to 1,200 spectators per match for the top four teams in the league.

“We already have some ideas to promote the attendance of the Hong Kong Premier League. One of our programmes will be the integration of the school programmes into the Premier League. The details will be announced later,” he said.

The HKFA is also reviewing applications to host various football events next year, promising “high-quality matches” featuring big names.

To raise the competitiveness of the men’s team, Fok revealed plans to arrange 10 international friendlies each year.

For the women’s team, the HKFA aims to schedule two friendlies per year, with a target of reaching a world ranking of 75 by 2030.