Kitchee’s pre-season began earlier this month after the off-season following the AFC Champions League (ACL) Group Stage in May. The team will soon travel to Korea in late July in preparation for the ACL Knockout Stage held in Japan in August. This season’s slogan, “Be Different”, signifies the Club’s desire to innovate and advance. With the expansion project of the Jockey Club Kitchee Centre at its final phase, the Club aims to take its football operations onto the next level.
Alex Chu, Director of Football, will stay in his position as Head Coach of the First Team while the backroom remains unchanged. The Club is also pleased to announce the signing of Mikael Severo, Eduardo Praes, and Jordon Brown as foreign players.
Mikael Severo came to Hong Kong in 2019 when he signed for Best Union Yuen Long. The 29-year-old Brazilian midfielder played for Happy Valley before joining Eastern Long Lions and featuring in their recent AFC Cup Group Stage. Head Coach Alex Chu believes that Mikael’s athleticism will be a powerful addition to the midfield partnership with Cleiton and Raúl Baena.
Formerly played for Hong Kong Pegasus, Wofoo Tai Po, and Eastern Long Lions, Eduardo Praes helped each of the teams to win trophies during his stay. The 33-year-old defender is expected to fill the void left by the departure of Sean Tse and Park Jun-heong, as Alex Chu believes his physicality will be a strong boost to the team’s defence. Eduardo Praes will be registered as a foreign player before he obtains his Hong Kong passport shortly.
Jordon Brown represented Resources Capital last season. Alex Chu reveals that after observing Brown’s performance, he trusts that the 28-year-old will be a fine asset for the team in the left. Brown will not be a foreign player for long, as he will return report to the team in early August as a domestic player.
Sebastian Buddle, Ngan Cheuk Pan, and Clément Benhaddouche have returned to the team this season. Aged 23, Buddle was previously on loan at HKU23. Ngan Cheuk Pan was promoted to the First Team in 2015 and featured in the 2020-21 ACL before leaving for studies in the United States. After finishing his degree in May, the 24-year-old midfielder has returned to the Club. Benhaddouche left Hong Kong last year after sustaining a pre-season injury. After rehabilitation and recovery trainings, he is now ready to return to the pitch.
Furthermore, Kam Chi Kin Jason (defender), Yim Kai Cheuk (defender), Yung Ho (midfielder), and Tsang Chun Hin (defender) from Kitchee U18 will join the First Team’s training starting from this season. They played a pivotal role in the U18 Team’s winning the Hong Kong Premier Youth League - League Cup U18 earlier this month. Like Tsang Yi Hang Ellison, Kam Chi Kin Jason and Yim Kai Cheuk joined Kitchee Academy at the age of 6 and hopefully will soon earn their chance to play for the First Team.
While the schedule for domestic competitions is yet to be announced, the team’s attention is focused on the ACL Knockout Stage held in Saitama, Japan in August. The team will depart for Korea on 26 July (Tue) for five friendly matches. Meanwhile, Matthew Orr, Cheng Chin Lung, Sohgo Ichikawa, Paulo César, Tomas Maronesi, and Tsang Yi Hang Ellison have been included in the preliminary squad for the EAFF E-1 Championship 2022 Final Round. After the Championship, players who are included in the final squad will report to the team training camp.
The tentative schedule for the friendlies is as follows.
Team (subject to change) Division Date
Yangju FC K3 30 July (Sat)
Seoul E-Land FC K2 3 August (Wed)
Goyang KH FC K4 6 August (Sat)
FC Seoul K1 9 August (Tue)
Incheon United FC K1 10/ 11 August (Wed/Thur)
As the expansion of the Jockey Club Kitchee Centre is almost complete, Mr. Ken K. Ng, Chairman of the Kitchee Foundation Limited, speaks on the newly installed facilities. “The CUHK Medical Clinic@Kitchee and the sports nutrition canteen are installed to provide support from off the pitch for professional players and youth elite players alike. Through data analysis and equipment at the Clinic, we can incorporate sports science into rehabilitation and recovery to help players return to the pitch in better conditions. We expect the canteen to play a significant role in educating our youth the importance of nutrition, helping them to be more disciplined with their diets, thus cultivating a positive change in their growth and development, as well as their football careers.”
Recognised by the AFC as one of the ten AFC Medical Centre of Excellence, the CUHK Medical Clinic@Kitchee costed over HK$12 million. The Clinic is managed by the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, specialised in orthopaedic and physiotherapy services and equipped with innovative medical equipment to provide treatments for sports-related injuries or musculoskeletal damages, and will be open to public for reservations. The Clinic’s advanced sports science and medical equipment will lead to performance enhancement from players, as well as a more scientific and effective approach to body condition monitoring and rehabilitation.
The sports nutrition canteen will provide meals for players to assist in sports recovery. With menus designed by professional chefs and dietitians, meals served in the canteen will address all nutritional needs of the players. Currently, the canteen provides breakfasts and lunches for the First Team players during pre-season, and will take a larger role during the season to ensure that all players are well nourished and prepared for matches to come.
Kitchee Welcomes New Season with New Reinforcement
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