Lunar New Year Cup (Hongkong)


Played in Hongkong annually around the time of Chinese New Year.

The Lunar New Year Cup developed as an extension of the annual "Interport" matches. Initially there was no formal tournament structure. A touring team (usually an European club) would visit Hongkong and play a few exhibition matches against local selections. In the late 1970s this annual event evolved into a triangular tournament, usually involving two visiting teams, and by the late 1980s the most common format was of four teams playing semifinals, a third place match, and a final.

From the mid 1990s to the late 2000s, it was known as the Carlsberg Cup, and the participants were national teams rather than clubs. During this period, Hongkong itself usually participated using an "all-stars" league selection, drawn from the professional players (including foreigners) in its league. Despite this, many of the matches in this period involving Hongkong have been recognised as full internationals by FIFA and/or the opponent country's football association.

Since 2006, the tournament has undergone various changes in name and sponsorship, and is now known as the "Asian Challenge Cup". In the most recent years, the event has had less importance, and the participants have all been clubs.


Lunar New Year Cup

Year    Winners                     Runners-Up
1908-73   interport and exhibition matches (see below)
Lunar New Year Cup
1974    Hongkong                    Juventus (São Paulo)
1975-76   exhibition matches (see below)
1977    Sparta Rotterdam            Hongkong 
1978    China                       Servette FC
1979    Guangdong                   Östers IF
1980-81   exhibition matches (see below)
1982    Austria Wien            1-0 Hallelujah
1983    Hongkong League XI      2-0 Hallelujah
1984    Partizan Beograd        1-0 Hongkong League XI 
1985    Combined British        1-0 League Selection
1986    Paraguay                    South Korea
1987    Brøndby IF              2-0 Hongkong 
1988    Jolly Shandy XI         0-0 AGF (Aarhus)         [5-3 pen]
1989    Malmö FF                    China
Marlboro Cup
1990    Sparta Praha            2-0 China
1991    Hongkong League XI      3-1 Aston Villa FC
1992    Hongkong League XI      2-2 FK Partizan Beograd  [3-2 pen]
Carlsberg Cup
1993    Switzerland             3-2 Hongkong League XI 
1994    Denmark                 2-0 Hongkong League XI 
1995    Yugoslavia              1-0 South Korea
1996    Sweden                  1-1 Japan                [5-4 pen]
1997    Russia                  2-1 Switzerland
1998    Nigeria                 2-0 Hongkong League XI                    
1999    Mexico                  3-0 Egypt
2000    Czech Republic          2-1 Mexico
2001    Norway                  2-1 Hongkong League XI  
2002    Honduras                1-0 Hongkong League XI 
2003    Uruguay                 1-1 Iran                 [4-2 pen]
2004    Norway                  3-1 Honduras
2005    Brazil                  7-1 Hongkong 
2006    Denmark                 3-1 South Korea
Lunar New Year Cup
2007    Jamaica Olympic         0-0 China Olympic        [5-4 pen]
2008    Hongkong League XI      2-1 Hajduk Split
2009    South China/Pegasus XI  2-1 Sparta Praha
2010    Pohang Steelers             Kitchee 
Asian Challenge Cup
2011    Tianjin Teda            0-0 Guangzhou Evergrande [5-3 pen]


Lunar New Year Exhibition Matches 1908-81

 3- 2-08 Hongkong FC          3-0  Shanghai FC (interport)
 4- 2-08 Combined Services    1-0  Shanghai FC

1913 : (Shanghai vs Hongkong interport, in Shanghai)

1914-22 : regular league fixtures

20- 2-23 All Hongkong         0-3  All Shanghai (interport)
21- 2-23 South China          0-2  All Shanghai
22- 2-23 Combined Services    5-2  All Shanghai

 5- 2-24 Hongkong FC          1-0  Shameen SC (Canton)
 6- 2-24 South China          1-2  Army
[Also Shanghai, Hongkong, and Hankou interport triangular, in Shanghai]

26- 1-25 All Hongkong         3-1  All Shanghai (interport)
28- 1-25 South China          3-2  All Shanghai
29- 1-25 Combined Services    1-3  All Shanghai

1926 : no games (Shanghai vs Hongkong interport, in Shanghai)

 2- 2-27 All Hongkong         4-0  All Shanghai (interport)
 3- 2-27 Southern China       4-1  Eastern China (Chinese interport)
 4- 2-27 Combined Services    7-4  All Shanghai
 5- 2-27 Combined Chinese     3-3  All Shanghai

1928 : no games (Shanghai vs Hongkong interport, in Shanghai)

11- 2-29 All Hongkong         3-0  All Shanghai (interport)
13- 2-29 Combined Chinese     3-5  All Shanghai
16- 2-29 Combined Services    2-1  All Shanghai

30- 1-30 Southern China       4-4  Eastern China (Chinese interport)
 1- 2-30 Southern China       2-2  Eastern China (replay)
 3- 2-30 Southern China       4-1  Eastern China (2nd replay)

18- 2-31 All Hongkong         3-4  All Shanghai (interport)
21- 2-31 Combined Chinese     0-1  All Shanghai
23- 2-31 Combined Services    5-1  All Shanghai

1932 : regular league fixtures

26- 1-33 All Hongkong         2-3  All Shanghai (interport)
28- 1-33 Combined Chinese     5-2  All Shanghai
29- 1-33 South China          6-0  Grupo Desportivo Argonauta (Macao Portuguese)
30- 1-33 Combined Services    4-1  All Shanghai

14- 2-34 South China          4-0  Lingnam University (Canton)
15- 2-34 St Joseph's          1-2  Lingnam University
18- 2-34 Combined Chinese     0-3  Rest of Hongkong 
[Also Shanghai, Hongkong, Tientsin interport triangular, in Shanghai]

 4- 2-35 All Hongkong         7-1  All Shanghai (interport)
 5- 2-35 Combined Chinese     2-2  All Shanghai
 7- 2-35 Combined Services    5-7  All Shanghai

1936 : no games (Shanghai vs Hongkong interport, in Shanghai)

11- 2-37 All Hongkong         3-4  All Shanghai (interport)
13- 2-37 Combined Chinese     1-4  All Shanghai
14- 2-37 Southern China       5-1  Eastern China (interport - Lee Hy-San trophy)
15- 2-37 Combined Services    2-1  All Shanghai
17- 2-37 HKFA                 6-0  Eastern China

31- 1-38 Chinese              3-0  Scottish (Sunday Herald International Charity Cup semifinal)
 1- 2-38 South China "B"      1-0  Macau Artillery
 2- 2-38 Eastern              3-0  Macau Artillery
 
19- 2-39 All Hongkong         4-1  All Manila (interport)
20- 2-39 Combined Chinese     5-3  All Manila
22- 2-39 Rest of Hongkong     4-3  All Manila

10- 2-40 All Hongkong         2-1  All Saigon (interport)
11- 2-40 South China          4-1  All Saigon
12- 2-40 Eastern              5-1  All Saigon
17- 2-40 Combined Chinese     4-3  All Saigon

27- 1-41 Army                 4-1  Chinese (AET) (Lai Wah Cup semifinal)
28- 1-41 South China          3-1  Navy (Kotewall Cup)

 2- 2-46 Combined Chinese      -   Rest of Hongkong 
 3- 2-46 Hongkong Island       -   Mainland
 4- 2-46 Combined Services     -   Rest of Hongkong 

23- 1-47 Combined Chinese     3-1  Royal Air Force (Memorial Cup 2nd round)
25- 1-47 All Hongkong         0-0  All Shanghai (interport)
26- 1-47 All Hongkong         4-2  All Shanghai (interport replay)
29- 1-47 Combined Services    3-1  All Shanghai
 1- 2-47 Combined Chinese     0-1  All Shanghai
 2- 2-47 HK/Shanghai Chinese  2-2  HK/Shanghai Non-Chinese

10- 2-48 All Hongkong         5-1  All Shanghai (interport)
11- 2-48 Combined Chinese     1-2  All Shanghai
14- 2-48 HK Non-Chinese       1-0  All Shanghai
17- 2-48 Sing Tao             4-1  Shanghai Chinese

29- 1-49 All Hongkong         3-1  All Saigon (interport)
30- 1-49 Combined Chinese     0-0  All Saigon
 1- 2-49 HK Non-Chinese       1-5  All Saigon

17- 2-50 All Hongkong         5-2  All Burma (interport)
18- 2-50 Combined Chinese     4-3  All Burma
19- 2-50 All Hongkong         6-1  All Manila (interport)
20- 2-50 All Hongkong         4-2  All Burma
21- 2-50 Combined Chinese     1-1  All Manila

 6- 2-51 Hongkong Selection   3-2  Boldklubben 1909
 7- 2-51 All Hongkong         2-3  Boldklubben 1909
10- 2-51 Combined Chinese     0-3  Boldklubben 1909
21- 2-51 Combined HK/Kowloon  2-3  Boldklubben 1909

27- 1-52 All Hongkong         0-3  Akademisk Boldklub
28- 1-52 Hongkong Selection   0-3  Akademisk Boldklub
30- 1-52 Combined Chinese     1-4  Akademisk Boldklub
13- 2-52 HKFA XI              1-0  Akademisk Boldklub

14- 2-53 All Hongkong         2-3  Linzer ASK
16- 2-53 Hongkong Selection   5-2  Linzer ASK
17- 2-53 Combined Chinese     1-5  Linzer ASK

 3- 2-54 All Hongkong         1-1  Køge BK
 4- 2-54 Hongkong Selection   3-0  Køge BK
 7- 2-54 Combined Chinese     2-0  Køge BK

24- 1-55 All Hongkong         0-1  Grasshopper Club Zürich
25- 1-55 Hongkong Selection   1-2  Grasshopper Club Zürich
27- 1-55 Combined Chinese     0-1  Grasshopper Club Zürich

14- 2-56 Combined Chinese     5-4  All Hongkong

31- 1-57 All Hongkong         1-1  India
 2- 2-57 Hongkong Selection   1-2  India
 3- 2-57 Combined Chinese     4-2  India
21- 2-57 Combined Chinese     2-3  India

18- 2-58 All Hongkong         3-2  South Korea
19- 2-58 Hongkong Selection   1-1  South Korea
22- 2-58 Combined Chinese     3-1  South Korea
 4- 3-58 Combined Chinese     0-0  South Korea

 8- 2-59 CAAF (Chinese)       4-3  HKFA (non-Chinese) (Governor's Cup 1st leg)
10- 2-59 Hongkong Chinese     6-1  Kowloon Chinese (Memorial Cup semifinal)

28- 1-60 All Hongkong         0-2  Peru XI (Deportivo Municipal and Sport Boys combined)
30- 1-60 Combined Chinese     1-3  Peru XI
 3- 2-60 All Hongkong         1-2  Peru XI
10- 2-60 HKFA XI              2-1  Peru XI
12- 2-60 Combined Chinese     1-5  Peru XI

15- 2-61 All Hongkong         1-0  BSC Young Boys
16- 2-61 Hongkong Selection   5-2  BSC Young Boys
19- 2-61 Combined Chinese     0-6  BSC Young Boys

 5- 2-62 Hongkong League XI   0-2  Örgryte IS
 6- 2-62 Hongkong Selection   4-1  Örgryte IS
 8- 2-62 Combined Chinese     5-0  Örgryte IS

25- 1-63 Hongkong League XI   3-2  West-Berlin XI
27- 1-63 Hongkong Selection   0-2  West-Berlin XI
30- 1-63 Combined Chinese     4-2  West-Berlin XI

13- 2-64 Hongkong             1-3  KB (København)
14- 2-64 Hongkong League XI   3-4  KB (København)
16- 2-64 Combined Chinese     2-3  KB (København)

 2- 2-65 Hongkong League XI   1-3  B1909 (Odense)
 4- 2-65 Hongkong             3-3  B1909 (Odense)
 7- 2-65 Combined Chinese     1-5  B1909 (Odense)

21- 1-66 Hongkong League XI   2-0  OFK Beograd
23- 1-66 Hongkong             0-1  OFK Beograd
26- 1-66 Combined Chinese     0-3  OFK Beograd

 9- 2-67 Hongkong League XI   1-2  TJ Sparta Praha
11- 2-67 Hongkong             3-4  TJ Sparta Praha
14- 2-67 Combined Chinese     2-4  TJ Sparta Praha

30- 1-68 Hongkong League XI   0-1  FC Lausanne-Sport
 1- 2-68 Hongkong             2-2  FC Lausanne-Sport
 4- 2-68 Combined Chinese     3-3  FC Lausanne-Sport

17- 2-69 Hongkong League XI   1-0  OB (Odense)
19- 2-69 Hongkong             1-1  OB (Odense)
22- 2-69 Combined Chinese     0-0  OB (Odense)
24- 2-69 Sing Tao             0-2  OB (Odense)

 6- 2-70 Hongkong League XI   0-1  TJ Inter Bratislava
 8- 2-70 Hongkong             2-6  TJ Inter Bratislava
11- 2-70 Combined Chinese     1-6  TJ Inter Bratislava

27- 1-71 Hongkong League XI   0-0  SV Wattens
29- 1-71 Hongkong             1-1  SV Wattens
31- 1-71 Combined Chinese     1-2  SV Wattens

15- 2-72 Hongkong League XI   0-3  Cruzeiro EC
18- 2-72 Hongkong             1-1  Cruzeiro EC
20- 2-72 Combined Chinese     0-2  Cruzeiro EC
23- 2-72 Hongkong Rangers     0-3  Cruzeiro EC

 3- 2-73 Hongkong             0-11 SL Benfica
 5- 2-73 H.K. Foreigners XI   1-3  SL Benfica
 8- 2-73 Combined Chinese     1-5  SL Benfica 

11- 2-75 Hongkong             0-0  CA Independiente (Avellaneda)
14- 2-75 Hongkong League XI   1-2  CA Independiente (Avellaneda)
17- 2-75 Hongkong Selection   1-2  CA Independiente (Avellaneda)

31- 1-76 Hongkong             0-3  Grasshopper Club Zürich
 2- 2-76 Hongkong League XI   1-1  Grasshopper Club Zürich
 5- 2-76 Hongkong Selection   0-1  Grasshopper Club Zürich

16- 2-80 Hongkong League XI   0-5  Crvena Zvezda Beograd
18- 2-80 Hongkong             0-4  Crvena Zvezda Beograd

 5- 2-81 Hongkong League XI   1-4  Dinamo Zagreb
 8- 2-81 Hongkong             1-3  Dinamo Zagreb


About this document

Thanks to "Tanaka" and Bojan Jovanovic

Prepared and maintained by Neil Morrison for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Neil Morrison
Last updated: 12 Jul 2017

(C) Copyright Neil Morrison and RSSSF 2000/17
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.