Hong Kong football bosses are reportedly looking to play an international friendly match against Iraq in November as part of the side’s preparations for next year’s Asian Cup.
Both teams will be involved in the competition in Qatar, with Hong Kong facing the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Palestine in Group C.
Iraq, meanwhile, were drawn in Group D, alongside Japan, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Talks over the game, which would fall in the Fifa international window between November 13 and 21, are said to be at an early stage, and while the Hong Kong Football Association declined to comment a source did confirm that a request to hold the match had been made.
Hong Kong boss Jorn Andersen has a maximum of six games over three international windows between now and the Asian Cup in January, and a game against Iraq, who are ranked 67th in the world, would certainly test his side, who are 145th.
His Iraq counterpart, Jesus Casas, told the Iraq Football Podcast winning the regional competition “would be a dream – comparable to when Greece won the European Cup in 2004”.
But arranging the game could be difficult. The next cycle of Fifa World Cup qualifiers is expected to start around the same time, meaning at least two of Hong Kong’s six match days before the Asian Cup would be reserved for qualifying.
The draw for the first and second round of qualifying for the 2026 tournament – which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico – is set for July 27.
Ranked No 25 in the region, Hong Kong are set to play in the second round, with their first two group matches in November. But if their ranking drops any further, they will face a two-legged first-round tie on October 12 and 17.
The teams ranked Nos 26-47 will play in the first round, with the 11 winners joining the top 25 of the region in the second round.
The 24-team tournament, which will be held across four cities in Qatar, is to be staged from January 12 to February 10.
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