Lunar New Year Cup

Not to be confused with AFC Challenge Cup.

The Lunar New Year Cup, also previously known as the Carlsberg Challenge or the Carlsberg Cup, is an annual football tournament organised in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Football Association since 1948. It is usually held on the first and the fourth day of the Chinese New Year as a part of the new year celebrations. The tournament was called the Carlsberg Cup between 1983 and 2006 as Carlsberg was the major sponsor of the event.

Since the 2007 edition of the event, the competition is officially known as the Lunar New Year Cup by the Hong Kong Football Association. This is because Carlsberg is now no longer the major sponsor but a mere co-sponsor. During 2011 and 2012, the name of the event was changed to Asian Challenge Cup.

Early-Period

In the period before and around WWII, Lunar New Year Cup was participated by Hong Kong teams and teams from mainland China. Since 1950, HKFA invited at least one overseas team to enter the competition. Before 1982, there were 3 exhibition matches in the tournament. The first two matches were usually participated by Hong Kong national football team, Hong Kong player team and Hong Kong League XI while Chinese XI played the last match.

International Competition

In 1983, it was the first time to have a main sponsorship for the competition and the invited team number increased to three. From 1993 onwards, national teams rather than club teams were invited to participate in the competition.

Results

Year Final Third place match
Winner Score Runner-up Third place Score Fourth place
1983 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2–0 South Korea
Hallelujah
Denmark
AGF
3–1 Peking
1984 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
FK Partizan
1–0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2–1
1985 1–0 unknown
1986
Paraguay
[1]
South Korea

Hong Kong
1987 Denmark
Brøndby IF
2 - 0
Hong Kong
China
Beijing
1 - 0 China
Shanghai
1988 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
Unknown Denmark
AGF
South Korea
Lucky-Goldstar Hwnagso
3 - 0 China
Dalian Shide
1989 Sweden
Malmö FF
(Four-team round-robin tournament)
China PR

Hong Kong
Denmark
Odense BK
1990 Czechoslovakia
Sparta Prague
2 - 0
China PR
Soviet Union
Spartak Moscow
4 - 1 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
1991 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
3 - 1 England
Aston Villa
Soviet Union
FC Dynamo Moscow
2 - 0
Thailand
1992 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2 - 2
3 - 2 pen
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
FK Partizan
Romania
Steaua Bucureşti
2 - 0 Switzerland
BSC Young Boys Bern
1993
Switzerland
3 - 2 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
Denmark
Denmark U-21
2 - 1
Japan
1994
Denmark
2 - 0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI

Romania
2 - 1
United States
1995 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
FR Yugoslavia
1 - 0
South Korea

Colombia
3 - 1 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
1996
Sweden
1 - 1
5 - 4 pen

Japan

Poland
1 - 0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
1997
Russia
2 - 1
Switzerland
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
FR Yugoslavia
3 - 1 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
1998
Nigeria
2 - 0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI

Iran
1 - 1
4 - 2 pen

Chile
1999
Mexico
3 - 0
Egypt

Bulgaria
3 - 0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2000
Czech Republic
2 - 1
Mexico

Japan
0 - 0
6 - 5 pen
Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2001
Norway
2 - 1 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI

South Korea
1 - 1
6 - 5 pen

Paraguay
2002
Honduras
1–0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI

Slovenia
0–0
(4–3) pen

China PR
2003
Uruguay
1–1
(4–2) pen

Iran
Denmark
Denmark League XI
2–1 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2004
Norway
3–1
Honduras

Sweden
3–0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2005
Brazil
7–1
Hong Kong
[2]
2006
Denmark
3–1
South Korea

Croatia
4–0
Hong Kong
2007 Jamaica
Jamaica Olympic Team
0–0
(5–4) pen
China
China PR Olympic Team
Australia
Australia Olympic Team
2–2
(5–3) pen
Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2008 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2–1 Croatia
HNK Hajduk Split
Uruguay
Peñarol
1–1
(5–4) pen
South Korea
Ulsan Hyundai
2009 Hong Kong
South China Pegasus Team
2–1 Czech Republic
Sparta Prague
South Korea
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
0–0
(5–4) pen
Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
2010 South Korea
Pohang Steelers
(Three-team round-robin tournament) Hong Kong
Kitchee
Hong Kong
Pegasus Invitation Team
2011 China
Tianjin Teda
0–0
(5–3) pen
China
Guangzhou Evergrande
South Korea
Ulsan Hyundai
4–2 Hong Kong
South China
2012 South Korea
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
5–1 Japan
Shimizu S-Pulse
China
Guangzhou R&F
1–1
(3–1) pen
Hong Kong
South China
2013 South Korea
Busan IPark
1–0 China
Shanghai East Asia
Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
1–0 Thailand
Muangthong United
2014 Hong Kong Ecuador
Citizen Cuenca United
2–0 Portugal
Olhanense
Russia
Krylia Sovetov
1–0 Japan
FC Tokyo
2015 United States
New York Cosmos
2–2
(4–2) pen
Hong Kong
South China
[3]
2016 Hong Kong
Hong Kong League XI
4–0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong
[4]

References

  1. Round-robin tournament
  2. 2 teams only.
  3. 2 teams only.
  4. 2 teams only.
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