Bangladesh’s star midfielder didn’t forget to thank the fans who filled the stands and cheered throughout the match.
After the final whistle, Hamza Choudhury had to give his official post-match reaction right on the field. The first question he faced was about the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong China. The England-based defensive midfielder couldn’t hide his admiration for the venue. But when asked about the result, a touch of disappointment was clear in his voice.
In the Asian Cup qualifying third-round match on Tuesday at Kai Tak Stadium, Bangladesh held Hong Kong China to a 1–1 draw. After conceding a penalty goal to Matt Orr in the first half, Rakib Hossain rescued Bangladesh late in the game with the equalizer.
Although the draw away from home offered some relief, Hamza didn’t shy away from admitting his frustration at Bangladesh’s failure to win any of their four matches in the qualifiers so far. Still, he made sure to appreciate both sets of fans in the stadium.
“This is what football is all about, especially in Asia — packed stands full of supporters. I hope the game keeps growing and finds its place on the world stage. I thank the Hong Kong fans for their support, and of course, I thank our Bangladeshi fans who traveled all the way here. We’ve built a foundation to move forward again, but at the end of the day, the disappointment remains because we couldn’t get the win,” said Hamza.
The atmosphere at Kai Tak left quite an impression on him. The sea of red jerseys among the home fans, the quality of the stadium, and the electric energy in the stands all caught his eye.
“Amazing, a truly world-class experience. I’ve played in England, but this stadium is probably among the best I’ve seen. The environment was fantastic — just look at the fans behind the goalposts, their passion shows how incredible they are,” Hamza added.
