| Event | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC First Round | ||||||
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| Hong Kong qualifies for the final round of qualification. | |||||||
| Date | 19 May 1985 | ||||||
| Venue | Workers Stadium, Beijing | ||||||
| Referee | Melvyn D'Souza (India) | ||||||
| Attendance | 80,000 | ||||||
| Weather | Night | ||||||
China v Hong Kong was a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification match played on 19 May 1985, also known as 19 May incident or 519 incident. It is one of the most notable matches of the China PR national football team and the Hong Kong national football team.
Hong Kong defeated the China PR 2–1 with goals from Cheung Chi Tak 19 minutes from the start of kick-off and Ku Kam Fai in the 60th-minute. Indian referee Melvyn D'Souza was selected to officiate the match, which was marked by an unusually intense match in Asian football history. Rioting by Chinese fans erupted around Workers Stadium after the match and Chinese government sent People's Armed Police to quell the riot.
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China was the runners-up of the 1984 AFC Asian Cup and was by far the strongest team in its 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification AFC Zone B first round group. China and Hong Kong had already met earlier in the group in Hong Kong where they played out a scoreless draw in the first match. Heading into the final match however, China was the leader of the group.
After 12 May 1985, the group 3 table was the follow:
| Legend |
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| Cannot qualify |
| # | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
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| 1 | China PR | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | +22 | 9 |
| 2 | Hong Kong | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | +17 | 9 |
| 3 | Macau | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 4 |
| 4 | Brunei | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 29 | −27 | 0 |
If China at least draws with Hong Kong then China will qualify for next round.
If Hong Kong wins against China then Hong Kong will qualify for next round.
| 19 May 1985 CST UTC+8 |
China PR | 1 – 2 | Hong Kong | Workers Stadium, Beijing Attendance: 80,000 Referee: Melvyn J. Victor D'Souza (India) |
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| Li Hui 31' | Cheung Chi Tak 19' Ku Kam Fai 60' |
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China PR
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Hong Kong
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| Legend |
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| Qualified directly for the next round |
| # | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hong Kong | 11 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 2 | +17 |
| 2 | China PR | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 2 | +21 |
| 3 | Macau | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 | −11 |
| 4 | Brunei | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 29 | −27 |
Hong Kong qualifies for the next round after the dramatic upset victory where they would fall to the Japan national football team 5 – 1 in a two legged home and away matchup.
| 11 August 1985 | Japan | 3 – 0 | Hong Kong | Kobe, Japan | ||
| Hara Kimura Mizunuma |
Referee: Gurkan (Philippines) |
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| 22 September 1985 | Hong Kong | 1 – 2 | Japan | Hong Kong | ||
| Wang Chi-Keung 80' | Kimura 45' Hara 89' |
Referee: Lee Kok Leong (Singapore) |
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Japan advanced to the Zone B Final Round, 5–1 on aggregate score.
For China there were riots by the local fans as it was another heartbreaking failure to qualify for their first FIFA World Cup after losing to the New Zealand national football team by the same score in the deciding playoff match of the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification. It would be until the 2002 FIFA World Cup that China would finally qualify for their first and only FIFA World Cup.