The Meteor Rise of Kowloon City that No One Expected

By HK Kickers
13 October 2024

The best thing happened to the district of Kowloon City in the first half of 2024 is probably the blockbuster movie - Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (九龍城寨之圍城)

Released in almost all theatres in the city on 1 May, the movie is set in 1980s Hong Kong, and the plot revolves around the once-notorious Kowloon Walled City. Within weeks of its theatrical release the movie received critical acclaim and an unprecedented surge in popularity. Actors in the movie like Terrance Lau, Raymond Lam and Louis Koo instantly became the hottest stars in Hong Kong (if Koo isn't one already).

Roughly two months after the release of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, on 25 June, Kowloon City District SA, the 2023-24 First Division champions, announced their promotion to the top-flight league for the first time in their club history. Fair to say the new addition to the Hong Kong Premier League has already reserved a place on the list of "the best thing happened to Kowloon City in 2H 2024", given all the surprises and gleeful moments the team has generated in the first 7 games this season.

Despite being already eliminated from the Senior Shield following a defeat to Southern, after 6 league fixtures Kowloon City has won half of them and ranks above the reigning champions Lee Man (who played 1 game less). 

How did the newly-promoted team pull it off?

It all started from last season, before Kowloon City was even crowned as the First Division champions. The district team was led by several ex-HKPL veterans. Names like Felix Luk (GK) and Hui Ka-lok (winger) frequently appeared on HKPL matchday squads just a few seasons ago, while Chan Man-fai (AM) and Tsang Kam-to (RB) were once Hong Kong Team starters and integral players for bigger clubs like Kitchee, South China and Lee Man, before they decided to call it a day and enjoy football in the second-level division instead. All four of them are now in HKPL again with Kowloon City, providing the professionalism and know-how a young team desperately needs. It is not an easy decision to make for them, considering they had their day jobs to make a living (Hui is still a youth coach for Eastern, does it amount to a conflict of interests?).

The club is also benefited from the relegation or disbandment of three HKPL counterparts after the end of last season. Quite a number of up-and-coming young guns and well-weathered players were released by Sham Shui Po, HK U23, and RCFC. It opened up the market not only for the existing clubs to recruit more "Sapling Cup specialists (菁英盃專員)", but also for newcomers like Kowloon City to search for reinforcement to prepare a brand-new campaign. Unsurprisingly, Kowloon City proceeded to sign 5 players from the disbanded HK U23, and another 5 from RCFC.

It was, nevertheless, considered rather thin when Kowloon City revealed their first squad list by the start of their pre-season. A lack of foreign players was a huge concern for some of the fans, and, in their opinion, it hinted the fate of Kowloon City for their maiden season in the Premier League.

This is when the Brazil-born players, like Willian Gaucho (CB), Kayron Ramos (ST) and Diego Eli (DM, now a naturalized HKer), prove otherwise.

A couple of opening losses, including 1-5 to Tai Po in PL and 1-3 to Southern in Senior Shield, were not able to hinder the team's progress. In fact, it had shown competitiveness in both games. All-rounded performance by Diego and Willian assisted Kowloon City to secure a half-time draw against the 2nd-placed team last season, only for them to be overwhelmed by the attacking talents Tai Po possesses, which Brazilians also comprise a major part of.

15 September 2024 was when Kowloon City collected its first win in the Premier League. And like every best-selling literature work or motion picture, it was full of dramas which put the fans on pins and needles, and the climax was succeeded by a happy ending.

Away at North District Sports Ground, Kowloon City was 2-0 up against North District by the end of 1st half, only for the home side to get back to the game with 2 goals in the final quarter. Nevertheless, it was Hui Ka-lok who converted and sealed the epic victory after the ball was sent into the box from a free kick. 

Things started to improve for Kowloon City since. A week later they held Eastern, which had just completed their voyage to the Southern Hemisphere to face FC Sydney in the Asian Champions League Two, to a 1-1 draw at home, and Kowloon City was the team leading until the 103rd minute. The next matchweek saw Kowloon City bagged a 2-0 victory over the ten-men home side at the HKFC Stadium and, apparently, a clean sheet. Another 2-0 victory was achieved at home against Rangers, where Kayron scored within minutes in the aftermath of a blitzkrieg attack from the start of the game.

Of course, as in other countries, leagues, and even team sports, there is no silver bullet to success in HKPL. Kowloon City has encountered some difficult pre-season time as well. As captain Tsang Kam-to confessed, the team was detached and the younger players were taciturn as they were all coming from different teams last season. It was when Tsang stood out and took the initiative, organising regular team meals after training to build trust and relationships. 

Probably because of that, not only the foreign and experienced local players but also the young guns have outperformed and delivered inspiring displays. 20-year-old attacking midfielder Ho Lung-ho has started 5 out of 6 PL fixtures. Despite his disadvantages in height (1.61m), Ho does not appear to fear opponents with better physicality and is zestful on the pitch. Giving out 2 assists, Ho's performance assures the fans that he can finally realise the potential he displayed in HK youth teams. Youngsters like Chiu Wan-chun (DM) and Yim Kai-cheuk (CB) also vow to leave their bad days at RCFC and HKU23 behind to prove their values in the increasingly competitive Premier League. Just like how the character of Louis Koo in Walled In tries to pass on values and responsibility to the next generation of talents, the veterans in Kowloon City are playing their part to foster the future of HK football.

Speaking of RCFC, one who can read Chinese characters will note that their Chinese name, 晉峰, is visibly printed on the chest of Kowloon City's jersey. The ex-PL club, now participating in the First Division, entered into a co-operation agreement with the promoted district club for youth development. RCFC will practically serve as the B team of Kowloon City, offering valuable time in competitive games for talents in the latter's youth setup before reaching the top league. Given the transient nature of HK football clubs, whether this act will serve as a lifeline to both clubs is yet to be seen. But at least there are some ideas and efforts made by the club management to sustain itself.

As announced, two more sequels of Twilight of the Warriors will be in production and released in the coming years. Kowloon City also reveals a Five-Year plan with the aims of developing its team, connecting the community and nurturing future talents. Unfulfilled promises are not something new in HK football, often leaving fans with disappointment and a grim outlook on the city's development of football. But with the ascending trend of Kowloon City's ranking in the league and the exhilarating football it attempts to play, there is no reason we should not have hope again. Maybe one day there will be someone coming from the team of Walled City to lead our football from twilight to a serene dawn.

(Top photo of Kowloon City players celebrating: Inmedia)