After a five-year hiatus, the 42nd Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup Football Tournament is about to kick off to promote football in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. On January 19th, the press conference for the second round of  the 42nd Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup was held at Yuexiu Mountain Stadium.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup is a traditional football event between Guangdong and Hong Kong. Since 1979, during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, the Guangdong Football Association and the Football Association of Hong Kong, China send teams to hold a match in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, respectively. The winner will be awarded the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup.

According to the schedule, the first round will be held at 20:00 on January 31st at the Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong, and the second round will be held at 19:30 on February 7th at the Yuexiu Mountain Stadium in Guangzhou.

Considering that the Spring Festival would be approaching in the second round of the competition, the organizer will provide performances like an on-site chorus, as well as the lion dance and dragon dance representing Lingnan culture to show that the Chinese people, descendants of the dragon, will gather and welcome the new year with the football in the Year of the Dragon.

It is reported that the second round of the 42nd Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup is expected to sell 10,000 tickets in Guangzhou. In terms of ticket design, the organizers have also come up with a unique idea. The ticket features two intertwining dragons, which echo the dragons on the trophies of previous tournaments. This symbolizes that both Guangdong and Hong Kong are descendants of the dragon, and in the Year of the Dragon, they will showcase their vibrant spirit and deep emotions through football.

In 2025, the 15th National Games of the People's Republic of China and Special Olympics China, jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, are about to be held. The organizers hope to take advantage of the resumption of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup to promote sports spirit across the Greater Bay Area.

The Guangdong team is mainly composed of the Meizhou Hakka team, a Chinese Super League club, along with players from other clubs such as Foshan Southern Lions, Guangzhou team, Guangzhou Yingbao, etc.

Coach Zhou Sui'an of the Guangdong team said, "The Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup has cultivated a multitude of football talents for Guangdong and worked as a platform for the exchange between the Guangdong and Hong Kong football communities, enhancing their friendship. The advancements and achievements of Hong Kong's football in recent years are stunning like we hope."

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

省港杯足球赛时隔五年回归！点燃大湾区足球热

时隔五年，作为承载粤港澳大湾区足球梦想的传统赛事，第42届省港杯足球赛即将点燃战火。1月19日，第42届省港杯足球赛第二回合新闻发布会在越秀山体育场召开。

省港杯足球赛是广东省和香港特别行政区之间的一项传统足球赛事，自1979年起，在每年元旦与春节期间，广东省足球协会和中国香港足球总会各派球队，分别在广州和香港举行一场比赛，胜方获省港杯奖杯。

根据赛程安排，第42届省港杯将于1月31日20时在香港旺角大球场举行第一回合比赛，2月7日19时30分在广州越秀山体育场进行第二回合比赛。

由于第二回合赛事临近春节，主办方届时将组织现场大合唱，并有代表岭南文化的醒狮和舞龙表演，期盼龙的传人在农历龙年以球相聚、共迎新年。

据悉，第42届省港杯足球赛第二回合广东主场预计售票一万张。在门票设计上，主办方也是别出心裁。球票上有两条龙相融交汇，在历届省港杯奖杯上也雕刻有两条龙，这寓意广东和香港同为龙的传人，在龙年通过足球的方式，展现生龙活虎的精神面貌和深厚情感。

2025年即将迎来粤港澳三地共同承办的十五运会和残特奥会，主办方期待借着省港杯复办的东风，将体育之风吹遍湾区大地。

参加第42届省港杯足球赛的广东队是以中超俱乐部梅州客家队为班底，加上佛山南狮、广州队、广州影豹等省内外俱乐部的广东球员共同组成。

广东队主帅周穗安表示：“省港杯为广东培养了很多足球人才，为省港两地足球界的交流提供了平台，加深了两地足球界的友谊。香港足球近年取得的进步和成绩是有目共睹的，这也是我们希望看到的。”

文丨记者 柴智
图丨视觉中国
翻译丨Bunny