Trial by Fire for interim coach Roberto Losada as Hong Kong takes on India in 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifier

The men’s soccer team of Hong Kong, China, has had a turbulent few years in soccer.

Since 2024, it has had four head coaches, including two interim managers, has been eliminated from the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying race and has yet to appoint a full-time head coach.

And here awaits interim coach Roberto Losada’s trial by fire. The three-time Hong Kong Coach of the Year has taken over from Ashley Westwood, and his wards will face higher-ranked India in the final round of the Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday in Kochi.

«Hong Kong is not as big as India, so the number of players is also limited (laughs). I know what they can give me and how I can motivate them to give me more,» Losada told reporters on the eve of the match.

Losada is one of over 300 managers shortlisted for the position of head coach by the Hong Kong Football Association.

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The Spaniard has already led the team to two titles: the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup and the Chinese New Year Cup, both unofficial tournaments won on penalties.

The real test begins now.

“My advantage is that I have known some of these players for a long time (before my time as interim head coach),” he added.

Four members of the traveling squad are from Kitchee FC, a club where Losada spent eight years, while two are from Eastern, a club with which he won the Hong Kong FA Cup twice.

However, circumstances have thrown a spanner in the works for the former Real Oviedo and Real Valladolid player.

«It’s complicated. We had to meet people in the embassies. A lot of players are playing in China. We had to fly them back and forth. (Then there were) injuries and then the canceled match in Nepal. So it was crazy,» Losada said.

India, on the other hand, will look to score big on the back of raucous support from the fans, leaving Hong Kong’s morale at a low ebb. Losada will be entrusted to prevent that, and he cannot afford to fail, as it is now more than ever a matter of make or break.

And he has very little time to get it right.

«We have the time we have. So we spend more time training, trying to convey to the players what we intend to do (as in the playing philosophy) and what our objectives are with this game,» he said.

Published on March 31, 2026