Kitchee Seeks to Open Sapling Cup Winning Account

Kitchee, who is still looking for its first victory in the Henderson Sapling Cup, will return to the tournament’s battleground on Wednesday evening by taking on fellow Group A side Yuen Long. The match will take place in Kowloon Bay Park and kick-off time will be at 8:00pm. Kitchee is coming off a 1:1 draw against old rival Eastern in its Sapling Cup opener last week and will try to go one step further by clinching all three points against Yuen Long. Head coach Abraham Garcia offered Kitchee supporters a glimpse of the future against Eastern by starting stalwart Ngan Cheuk-pan in the game while sending out Hirokane Harima as a second-half substitute. Both young players performed admirably during the game and it will not be surprising to see the Kitchee duo being offered another opportunity to impress on Wednesday night. Midfielder Gao Wen, who is working very hard on a daily basis to try to establish himself in Garcia’s plan, believes Yuen Long will not be an easy side to face. “Yuen Long has not got off to a great start this season but I have seen signs of improvement in their recent games. They are a serious threat when it comes to aerial attack and we need to keep a close eye on Reinaldo Peres,” Gao offered. “I might not have played much in domestic competitions so far this season but I will keep working hard and hopefully, I will receive my chance in the cup competitions, put it in good use and stake my claim for more playing time.” Youngster Law Tsz-chun is also roaring to go, especially after seeing fellow youth-team graduates such as Cheng Chin-lung, Ngan Cheuk-pan and Hirokane Harima, all making their professional debuts for Kitchee this season. “I am very hungry for my opportunity and I am working very hard to make sure I am ready when I get my chance,” the young defender revealed. “From what I have seen so far this season, Yuen Long is a pretty physical side and has some very dangerous wingers. They seem to think very fast on the pitch and uses the ball quickly, which we should be aware of.”