Yapp Hung Fai
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yapp Hung-fai | |||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 March 1990 | |||||||||||
| Place of birth | Hong Kong | |||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||
Current team | Eastern | |||||||||||
| Number | 1 | |||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Hong Kong 09 | |||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Workable | 13 | (0) | |||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Eastern | 21 | (0) | |||||||||
| 2009–2010 | TSW Pegasus | 17 | (0) | |||||||||
| 2010–2014 | South China | 44 | (0) | |||||||||
| 2014– | Eastern | 29 | (0) | |||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||
| 2009–2014 | Hong Kong U-23 | 17 | (0) | |||||||||
| 2010– | Hong Kong | 51 | (0) | |||||||||
Honours
| ||||||||||||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 April 2016. | ||||||||||||
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Yapp Hung-fai (Chinese: 葉鴻輝; Jyutping: jip6 hung4 fai1, born 21 March 1990 in Hong Kong) is a Hong Kong international footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Hong Kong Premier League club Eastern. He is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Hong Kong. He is recently the captain of the Hong Kong national football team.
Biography
Born in a Hakka family, Yapp finished his studies at form 5 level. He scored 13 points in his HKCEE examination and was accepted by Queen's College Old Boys Association Secondary School for form 6. But he gave it up to pursue his football dream. He had already represented Hong Kong at under-17 level.[1]
Workable FC
Yapp Hung Fai started his professional career at Workable FC when he was only 17 under coach Lee Kin Wo and Chan Hiu Ming in 2007.[2] His salary was only HK$5,000.[3] During his time at Workable FC, he helped the team to an unexpected 1:0 win against South China AA in the 2007-08 Hong Kong League Cup.[4]
Eastern AA
After Workable FC was relegated at the end of the 2007–08 season, Yapp followed Lee Kin Wo and Chan Hiu Ming to Eastern AA. But the club did not achieve good results and decided to return to the Hong Kong Third Division League at the end of the season.
TSW Pegasus
Yapp Hung Fai moved to TSW Pegasus FC in 2009.[5] After helping the club beat Citizen AA 2:1 to win the 2009-10 Hong Kong FA Cup and qualify for the 2011 AFC Cup, Yapp Hung Fai announced that he will join league champions South China AA along with teammate Lau Nim Yat. Yapp said he decided to join South China before the game and South China's Hong Kong location will be easier for him to attend school. He is also not worried about competing with Zhang Chunhui for the starting goalkeeper place.[6]
South China
In 2010, Yapp Hung Fai moved to Hong Kong First Division League champions South China AA. On 29 September 2010, during Tottenham Hotspur's chief scout Ian Broomfield's visit to South China, he praised Yapp for his enormous potential. "This goalkeeper is not tall, but his reactions are sharp and he is quick to come out of the box to block strikers. He is also very committed and very well disciplined."[7]
After defeating East Bengal FC in the 2011 AFC Cup game at home on 14 April 2011, South China striker Mateja Kezman suggested that Yapp Hung Fai has what it takes to play in European football leagues.[8]
Second spell with Eastern AA
In June 2014, Yapp returned to Eastern AA after his contract with South China AA expired.
International
Hong Kong U23
On 12 December 2009, Hong Kong played in the football final of the 2009 East Asian Games. The game ended 1:1 after extra time. In the penalty shoot-out, Yapp Hung Fai saved from Shohei Otsuka before Japanese defender Daisuke Suzuki sent his effort wide. Hong Kong eventually won the penalty shoot out 4:3 and took the gold medal.[9] Yapp Hung Fai's performance was widely applauded in the territory and he was nicknamed Ying Hung Fai (Hero Fai) by the public.
Yapp Hung Fai took part in the 2010 Asian Games for Hong Kong U23. Hong Kong advanced to the knock-out stage for the first time in 52 years after wins over Uzbekistan and Bangladesh and a draw with United Arab Emirates. In the knock-out stage Hong Kong was defeated by Oman 0:3 with Yapp Hung Fai saving a penalty to prevent another goal.[10]
In the 2012 London Olympics Asian qualification tie against Uzbekistan, Yapp Hung Fai saved a penalty in the away game to prevent Hong Kong U23 losing 0:2.[11] In the end, Hong Kong lost the tie 0:3 on aggregate.
On 10 August 2011, Hong Kong Football Association announced its squad for the 2013 East Asian Games football tournament. Only Yapp Hung Fai remains from the original gold medal winning 2009 squad.[12]
Hong Kong
Yapp Hung Fai took part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification matches for Hong Kong against Saudi Arabia. Hong Kong lost the tie 0:8.
In the 2012 Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup, the first match at Hong Kong Stadium ended 2–2. After the second match ended as 0–0 in Huizhou Stadium, Yapp Hung-Fai saved 3 penalties in the penalty shoot-out to help Hong Kong win by 5–4. He is once again hailed as Hong Kong's cup winning hero.[13]
He is recently the captain of Hong Kong.
Honours
Club
- South China
- Hong Kong League Cup (1): 2010–11
- Hong Kong FA Cup (1): 2010–11
- First Division (1): 2012–13
- Hong Kong Senior Shield (1): 2013–14
- TSW Pegasus
- Hong Kong FA Cup (1): 2009–10
Country
- Hong Kong
- Long Teng Cup (2): 2010, 2011
- Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup (2): 2012, 2013
- Hong Kong U-23
- East Asian Games (1): 2009: Gold
Individual
- East Asian Games Best Goalkeeper (1): 2009
- Hong Kong Best Youth Player (2): 2010, 2013
- Hong Kong First Division Team of the Year (4) : 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Statistics
Club career
As of 31 May 2013 (CLEAN SHEETS NOT UPDATED)
| Club | Season | League | Cup[14] | Asia | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | G.C. | C.S. | Apps | G.C. | C.S. | Apps | G.C. | C.S. | Apps | G.C. | C.S. | ||
| Workable | 2007–08 | 13 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | 19 | 25 | 7 |
| Workable Total | 13 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 25 | 7 | |
| Eastern | 2008–09 | 21 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 31 | 40 | 13 |
| Eastern Total | 21 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 31 | 40 | 13 | |
| TSW Pegasus | 2009–10 | 17 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 0 | – | – | – | 22 | 25 | 6 |
| TSW Pegasus Total | 17 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 25 | 6 | |
| South China | 2010–11 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 23 | 35 | 4 |
| 2011–12 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 1 | – | – | – | 24 | 30 | 9 | |
| 2012–13 | 17 | 18 | 2 | 9 | 7 | – | – | – | – | 26 | 25 | 2 | |
| South China Total | 44 | 47 | 12 | 23 | 29 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 78 | 95 | 15 | |
| Guizhou Renhe | 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Guizhou Renhe Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 65 | 106 | 34 | 38 | 47 | 5 | 12 | 27 | 2 | 145 | 180 | 41 | |
Apps – Appearances; G.C. – Goals conceded; C.S. – Clean sheets.
Overview
| Hong Kong national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 |
| 2012 | 10 | 0 |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 |
| 2015 | 11 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 48 | 0 |
Hong Kong
- As of 3 June 2016
Hong Kong U23
- As of 25 September 2014
Player profile
Yapp has excellent speed and reflexes, making him an ideal one-on-one goalkeeper. He has a great ability of rushing out and closing down the attacker, and can react quickly to shots. He is also an excellent penalty kick saver, having saved penalties on multiple big occasions. However, Yapp is susceptible to crosses and corner kicks due to his lack of height.
References
- ↑ traditional Chinese 棄升中六飛撲青春夢 The-Sun (Hong Kong). 5 November 2007
- ↑ traditional Chinese 生得逢時 避過外援氾濫潮 時勢造英「鴻」 Apple Daily. 28 January 2010
- ↑ (traditional Chinese (HK))天之驕子中鋒 x運滯落難門將 奪金功臣 榮辱路大不同 Apple Daily. 13 December 2009.
- ↑ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 聯賽盃足球賽（ A組） 華家堡爆大冷挫南華 Apple Daily. 20 January 2008
- ↑ traditional Chinese 生得逢時 避過外援氾濫潮 時勢造英「鴻」 Apple Daily. 28 January 2010
- ↑ traditional Chinese 助飛馬捧盃 葉鴻輝投南華 Ming Pao. 31 May 2010
- ↑ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 熱刺球探觀操 讚葉鴻輝反應快 30 September 2010.
- ↑ 基士文薦葉鴻輝闖歐 Singtao Daily (Vancouver, Canadian version). 15 April 2011.
- ↑ Hong Kong takes football gold at East Asian Games. By MICHAEL CHURCH. Associated Press. 12 December 2009 10:07 PM
- ↑ traditional Chinese 16強力戰不敵阿曼 港足明天會更好 Oriental Daily. 16 November 2010
- ↑ (Chinese)東尼##本地體壇##營造主場威力 Metro Daily Hong Kong. Retrieved 11 August 2011
- ↑ traditional Chinese 東亞運隊 30將僅葉鴻輝舊人 Apple Daily. 10 August 2011
- ↑ (traditional Chinese (HK))葉鴻輝3救12碼 氣走廣東 港隊重奪錦標 Oriental Daily. 2 January 2012.
- ↑ Including Hong Kong FA Cup, Hong Kong League Cup and Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield.
- ↑ Hong Kong 4–0 Maldives, Asian Football Confederation, 23 February 2011
- ↑ Maldives 0–3 Hong Kong, Asian Football Confederation, 9 March 2011
External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Chan Wai Ho |
Hong Kong national under-23 football team captain 2011 |
Succeeded by Tam Lok Hin |