The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) has said that fans will need to present their Hong Kong identity cards when collecting tickets for the Hong Kong versus China world cup qualifier match on November 17. Identity cards will also need to be presented on the day at Mong Kok stadium.

HKFA vice chairman Pui Kwan-kay told RTHK that “Our main objective is to ensure that ticket buyers and those who attend the match are both Hong Kong fans, to avoid the tickets being transferred to foreign fans.”

“In my estimation, not many tickets will be resold to other people. As many people want tickets, they will treasure their tickets after buying online, because tickets are of short supply.”

Hong Kong fans. Photo: Hong Kong Football Association.

Fans will not need to present their identity cards and their full names when they buy the ticket online, as it would be troublesome, Pui said.

“If we register the tickets by fans’ full names, and ask them to present their names when they enter the stadium, checking the names will take a lot of time, and it will be crowded.”

Limited ticketing

HKFA chairman Brian Leung Hung-tak told Apple Daily that the HK$150 tickets will be on sale in early November: “To enable more fans to buy the tickets, the initial plan is that each person will be able to buy two tickets.” Previously, fans could buy up to four tickets for a world cup qualifier match.

Around 3,600 tickets will be publicly on sale for the match at the 6,500 seat Mong Kok Stadium. Around 500 tickets will be sold to Chinese fans, another 500 given to sponsors, 900 reserved for elderly and students, with around 1,000 tickets sold previously.

A controversial poster from China Football Association and the response from Hong Kong Football Association. Photo: Hong Kong Football Association.

Separate bathrooms

Pui also told the newspaper that other measures are being taken to avoid unnecessary conflicts between fans of Hong Kong and China.

“We will set up an area for Chinese fans, and fans from both places will have their own specific washrooms.” he said, “We will discuss security arrangements with the police, to see if there should be more officers to maintain order.”

Hong Kong will also play against Myanmar in an international friendly at Mong Kok Stadium on November 7.

Update 6:15pm: Tickets for Hong Kong versus China will go on sale on Wednesday, November 4.