Fifa international window: prolific Brazilian could make Hong Kong debut next week, with another red-hot striker close behind
Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen received a twin-boost in his bid to cure his side’s goalscoring problems as two prolific attackers moved closer to qualifying to represent the city.
The Hong Kong Football Association expects Lee Man’s Brazil-born forward Everton Camargo to obtain his passport “in the next few days” and join the squad for friendly matches against Cambodia and Brunei next month.
Teenage striker Michael Udebuluzor, meanwhile, targeted a role in Hong Kong’s World Cup qualifying play-off with Bhutan in October after issuing an optimistic update on his passport application.
Udebuluzor is waiting for the completion of paperwork to formally relinquish his Nigerian citizenship. The 19-year-old, who has eight goals from seven games for Ingolstadt II in Germany’s fifth tier this season, said everything was in place for his subsequent naturalisation after he began that process last December.
“I am hoping to play the World Cup matches in October,” Udebuluzor told the Post.
“I am pretty sure that can happen, but not 100 per cent. The fixtures next month will be too soon.
“Giving away my Nigerian passport is a paperwork process and that is happening right now. As soon as I have the paperwork and declare my passport is no longer with me, it will be just a matter of time until I get my Hong Kong passport. The naturalisation process is ready.”
Camargo, the 17-goal joint-top scorer in last season’s Hong Kong Premier League, came to the city at the beginning of 2016 to play for Wong Tai Sin. The 32-year-old needs to finalise his naturalisation in time for the opening of the Fifa international window on September 4 in order to feature against Cambodia and Brunei.
“Everton will get his passport in the next few days, so it is possible to see him in the squad for the friendly matches,” an HKFA source said.
Andersen’s team face Cambodia in Phnom Penh on September 7, then host Brunei at Hong Kong Stadium on September 11. They play Bhutan home and away on October 12 and 17 for the right to join a four-team World Cup qualifying group containing Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
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