Alex Jojo questions European clubs’ ‘trust’ in Hong Kong’s footballers after Sweden stint
Alex Jojo said it would be “extremely difficult” for a Hong Kong footballer to win over European club managers, because there is “not a level of trust” in players from the city.
Defender Jojo, who is in contention for a Hong Kong debut against Fiji on Sunday, made three substitute appearances during eight months with Swedish team IK Oddevold, before joining Eastern on loan for 2024-25.
The 25-year-old said Sweden’s playing standard was on a “completely different level” from Hong Kong’s. His hopes of getting up to speed on the field were dashed by an excess of right-backs and coach Rikard Nilsson retaining faith in players who had helped the club return to the second division after 26 years.
A member of the Hong Kong under-23 team’s Asian Games semi-finals campaign last year, Jojo said Eastern would provide a “platform to go again” in his career.
“It is extremely difficult for a Hong Kong player [to make it in Europe] – the Swedish second division was above, or around, the standard of the stronger Asian Games teams,” Jojo said.
“My club was low in the table, but we had players with 200 or 300 games in the top divisions in Sweden and Norway. I was close to breaking into the team, but I just needed a chance.
“I think they want me to go back next year, but I won’t unless I’m playing. If you’re not playing, you’re wasting your time.”
Asked if Hong Kong players had to work doubly hard to convince European coaches of their selection credentials, Jojo said: “That is definitely the case. It is frustrating … you could have played many representative team games, played 500 games in Hong Kong, but I don’t think there’s a level of trust.”
Tied to Oddevold for another 18 months, Jojo said he did not want to say anything to ruffle feathers at the club and would go through future transfer proposals with a fine-tooth comb after arriving at Oddevold to discover four right-backs already on the premises.
“I had a couple of offers to go to [mainland] China during the summer, but I can’t pick a random team,” Jojo said.
“I have to research, look at who’s in my position, and the project and plan for the club. I’m not going to think, ‘this is the first team that wants me, so I’ll go’.”
Jojo “did not get a clear answer” over the questions of how to unseat the incumbent Oddevold right-back, and why the club bought him in the first place.
“I want to be professional and have to be careful what I say, but there might have been a financial aspect to signing me,” Jojo said. “I have a Hong Kong passport, so they could sell me to teams in China or Asia.”
Jojo had almost two years in Portugal with the youth team at FC Vizela, before joining Happy Valley in 2019. He left for three seasons with Eastern in 2020, and was briefly at Tai Po before the Sweden switch.
Despite more than 60 domestic appearances, Jojo never muscled into the plans of former Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen. He was, though, granted an immediate opportunity to impress new boss Ashley Westwood, after being summoned to replace injured Leon Jones for the tri-nations competition in Fiji.
Jojo did not get a run out in Thursday’s 3-0 stroll against Solomon Islands, but he is vying to feature when Hong Kong meet the hosts at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
“I’m not surprised about the call-up, because it’s something I’ve been working towards, but I’m grateful and happy to be here,” Jojo said.
“I was born and raised in Hong Kong … this means a hell of a lot to me and my family. I want to represent Hong Kong in the best way possible.
“I am taking it game by game, which I didn’t do when I was younger. I am really enjoying my football and if I do well, and the gaffer is having me, that is an absolute honour.”
https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3277585/hong-kong-ace-queries-european-clubs-trust-citys-footballers-after-sweden-stint