Al-Nassr and the Saudi Super Cup have caused controversy in Hong Kong after local teams had their training sessions cancelled to make way for the visiting clubs. The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) is under fire for poor communication and what some are calling “shameful” planning, leaving both professional and amateur teams scrambling to find alternative venues. The Super Cup kicked off on Tuesday at Hong Kong Stadium and the HKFA block-booked facilities for Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Qadisiyah.
Al-Nassr and the Saudi Super Cup have caused controversy in Hong Kong after local teams had their training sessions cancelled to make way for the visiting clubs.
The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) is under fire for poor communication and what some are calling “shameful” planning, leaving both professional and amateur teams scrambling to find alternative venues.
The Super Cup kicked off on Tuesday at Hong Kong Stadium and the HKFA block-booked facilities for Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Qadisiyah. That meant several local teams had to vacate pitches at short notice.
Top-flight club Eastern had nine sessions rescheduled between last Thursday and Friday. “It’s a bit inconvenient for us, especially as the season starts soon,” a spokesman said. While the HKFA helped them relocate, he added, “we were notified at very short notice” and urged officials to “make better arrangements in the future.”
Amateur teams were also affected, some given only two days’ notice. While a few acknowledged the prestige of hosting a major Saudi competition, others were unhappy with the way it was handled.
Al Nassr's treatment ‘Shameful’ Impact on Women’s Football
The strongest backlash came from Kitchee SC midfielder Danielle Vos, who posted a statement on Instagram after her team lost access to the Football Training Centre in Tseung Kwan O just days before an AFC Women’s Champions League match.
“For our last week of training before the AFC Women’s Champions League we had been booked to train on real grass pitches for all of next week. @hkfa_official cancelled our booking on Friday, stating that Al-Nassr is training there,” Vos wrote.
She accused the HKFA of being incompetent and asked why they didn’t ask Al-Nassr to train at 9:30 p.m. instead:
“The Saudi Super Cup was confirmed in Hong Kong in June. Was it just your incompetence in planning or your absolute lack of support for women’s football that caused you to cancel our booking? Did you ask Al-Nassr to train at 9:30 p.m. instead, like you asked us?"
"As a women’s football player in Hong Kong I ask myself why do I even bother? What message does this send to all the other women and girls playing football? Shameful, once again.”Vos’ statement hit the nail on the head, exposing the double standard many see in men’s and women’s football in Hong Kong. The HKFA has not commented publicly on the issue."
Kowloon City vice-chairman Andrew Mak Yung-pan said hosting the Super Cup was valuable but communication was lacking: “Hosting events like the Super Cup brings a lot of value to our city, but our limited land resources mean we have scheduling challenges. Better communication between stakeholders could have helped us anticipate the conflict earlier and avoid the situation.”
That backdrop set the stage for today’s semifinal action, where Al Nassr beat Al Ittihad 2-1 earlier today (despite a red card against Sadi Mané early on) and reached the final. The second semifinal will take place tomorrow night between Al-Qadsiah and Al Ahli.
The winner will meet Cristiano Ronaldo's team in the final on Saturday night, ending a busy week in Hong Kong.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Category: General Sports
