Palami: Azkals surprised by HK fans' rude treatment
MANILA – The Philippine Azkals are no stranger to hostile territories.
However, Azkals team manager Dan Palami said the recent incident in Hong Kong was something else.
In his Twitter account, Palami said they were surprised by the rude treatment given by Hong Kong football fans to the team and the Filipino spectators.
“The AZKALS are used to playing in a hostile environment... but we were unprepared to deal with [the situation],” he said.
The Azkals defeated Hong Kong, 1-0, in what was supposed to be a "friendly" game.
But Chinese fans at Hong Kong's Mong Kok Stadium didn’t take the loss well.
They heaped verbal abuse at the Filipino players and fans, calling the visitors a “slave nation."
Worse, they even threw mineral bottles at Filipino fans, most of whom were women and children.
Palami said the incident has placed the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) under a bad light.
“It's unfortunate that the HKFA, who really treated the AZKALS well, could be dragged down by the actions of unruly and hostile fans...,” he said.
Meanwhile, the HKFA has assured that an investigation is now underway.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
