Sawt Falasteen - Andersen hails Hong Kong progress as historic Asian Cup run ends

Hong Kong stunned heavyweights Iran in the quarter-finals to reach the last four of the under-24 competition for the first time with a team missing several players who were not released by their clubs.

The city's senior team are also on the rise and will play at the Asian Cup next January after qualifying for the tournament for the first time since 1968.

Hong Kong's surprise Asian Games run sparked massive interest at home, with shopping malls across the city showing live screenings of the semi-final.

They were outclassed by a Japan team who will face South Korea in Saturday's final, after the Taeguk Warriors beat Uzbekistan 2-1 in the day's other semi-final.

Andersen believes Hong Kong football is moving in the right direction.

"When I came to Hong Kong, the national team was always defending and didn't have so many attacking games -- that was my first task, to try to learn them to be more aggressive," said the Norwegian.

"We already see for the first team and this under-23 team that we are making small progress. We still continue, try to do it better.

"The results for this tournament were very positive for this progress."

Hong Kong will play Uzbekistan in the bronze-medal game on Saturday and then begin their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup against Bhutan five days later.

Andersen said some players from his Asian Games side would "take the step into the first team".

"I think the progress in this team is incredibly good -- we stayed to the last four at the Asian Games, we were in the semi-final, it's never happened before in Hong Kong," he said.

"From game to game we improved tactically, we improved technically and we made very good games."

Hong Kong created chances in the first half but went into the break a goal down after Shun Ayukawa gave Japan the lead in the 23rd minute.

Japan looked sharper in the second half and soon put the contest beyond Hong Kong's reach with a goal from Yota Komi and a double from Shota Hino.

Japan have only won the Asian Games men's tournament once and coach Go Oiwa believes his squad's strength in depth has helped them reach the final.

"We have a tight schedule so we prepared so that all 22 players can play well," he said.

"We look at our opponents and the condition of our players and then decide who is going to start each game.

"We struggled in the first half tonight but we made some changes at the break and we played well in the second half."

Korea took a fifth-minute lead against Uzbekistan in the day's other semi-final with a goal from Jeong Woo-yeong.

Jasurbek Jaloliddinov equalised just over 20 minutes later but Jeong struck again shortly before half-time to restore Korea's lead.

Uzbekistan's Abdurauf Buriev was sent off for dissent in the 74th minute.

R.Shaban--SF-PST