Everton Camargo has been given the opportunity to reignite his Hong Kong career after being included in Ashley Westwood’s 23-man squad for friendly dates with Liechtenstein and Cambodia this month.
Forward Camargo, who is set to figure in Lee Man’s crucial AFC Champions League Two clash with Tampines Rovers on Wednesday night, has not played for Hong Kong since a home World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan in March.
The 33-year-old has pulled out of five overseas trips since his international debut in September 2023, most recently withdrawing from Hong Kong’s squad for last month’s tri-nations tournament in Fiji.
Englishman Westwood, who was appointed head coach in late August, used that trip as a learning exercise, with assistant Wolfgang Luisser overseeing a 3-0 victory over Solomon Islands and 1-1 draw with the hosts.
The new man has put his stamp on his first official squad. There is no place for Camargo’s Lee Man teammate Wu Chun-ming, who established a regular midfield starting spot under former boss Jorn Andersen.
The mainland China-based defensive trio of Yu Wai-lim, Jacky Leung Nok-hang and Vas Nunez are all excluded. Nunez missed club team Guangxi Pingguo Haliao’s game against Suzhou Dongwu on Saturday.
Four defenders playing in the Chinese leagues are named in the party, in the shape of Shinichi Chan, who is in fine form for Shanghai Shenhua, Oliver Gerbig, Yue Tze-nam and Sun Ming-him.
Tai Po’s uncapped 22-year-old Nicholas Benavides is a notable inclusion. Benavides, who can play anywhere down the left, has not represented Hong Kong at any level. This season, he has started two games for league leaders Tai Po following a summer switch from Sham Shui Po.
There is a recall for Kitchee defender Fernando, 10 months after the 37-year-old last featured for Hong Kong. At the other end of the age spectrum, Lee Man fullback Timothy Chow and fellow 18-year-old Ng Yu-hei, the Eastern attacker, both made the cut, as Westwood trimmed a preliminary 51-man squad.
The two late call-ups to last month’s squad, Poon Pui-hin and Alex Jojo, have retained their places.
Hong Kong climbed two places to 157 in the Fifa rankings following the two matches in Fiji. They will face 203rd-ranked Liechtenstein in Vaduz on October 11, before returning home to meet Cambodia (180) at Hong Kong Stadium on October 15.
https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3280690/camargo-set-revive-international-career-ashley-westwood-picks-first-hong-kong-squad