Latest news with #NoahBaffoe
RTHK
3 days ago
- Sport
- RTHK
Eastern keeps FA Cup title on late Baffoe hat-trick
Eastern keeps FA Cup title on late Baffoe hat-trick Eastern forward Noah Baffoe scored three goals in five minutes to seal a comeback win for the club. Photo courtesy of Eastern FC's Facebook Eastern Football Club on Saturday held on to their Hong Kong FA Cup title, thanks to a brilliant hat-trick by forward Noah Baffoe late in the game. BC Rangers' Lau Chi-lok opened the scoring early in the final at Mong Kok Stadium, finding the net less than 10 minutes after the match began. But Baffoe, the 32-year-old Eastern striker who had just been crowned Hong Kong Footballer of the Year, netted three goals in five minutes from the 80th minute to secure a 3-1 comeback for Eastern. This is the club's seventh FA Cup win in its history.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Eastern win Hong Kong FA Cup after brilliant Noah Baffoe hat-trick downs Rangers
Noah Baffoe bagged a brilliant four-minute hat-trick as Eastern retained the Hong Kong FA Cup on Saturday, beating BC Rangers 3-1 at Mong Kok Stadium. Advertisement Leading 1-0 with 10 minutes remaining, after Lau Chi-lok's early strike, Rangers looked on course to claim the trophy for the first time since 1995. But a previously subdued Baffoe sprang to life with time running out, when he ran onto a pass behind Rangers' defence to squeeze a shot past the onrushing Oleksii Shliakotin. If that was a piece of predatory expertise from Baffoe, what the Spaniard did next was coated with genius. After gathering a pass from substitute Timmy Ma Hei-wai, Baffoe turned to guide a 25-yard chip beyond the helpless 6ft 5in goalkeeper Shliakotin. Only two more minutes had elapsed when Baffoe, crowned Hong Kong footballer of the year on Wednesday, chased down a pass over the top from Clement Benhaddouche and thumped a bouncing ball inside the left post. It was his 35th goal of the season and seventh in three FA Cup matches. Advertisement The victory for Eastern added to their success in the Senior Shield. It also secured Hong Kong's second Asian Champions League Two spot, alongside league champions Tai Po, for next season, and HK$350,000 (US$45,000) in prize money.
South China Morning Post
13-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Football bosses observing VAR officials? Tai Po coach calls for transparency
Lee Chi-kin, the Tai Po head coach, has called for more transparency around football's use of VAR, and lamented a series of damaging calls against his team. During a potentially season-wrecking recent run, Tai Po conceded penalties in four straight matches, as they lost two cup semi-finals and drew a pair of league fixtures to surrender top spot to Lee Man. Lee claimed his players were 'scared to touch anyone in the box' during a restorative 3-2 victory at BC Rangers on Saturday. 'You can imagine the pressure on our players … it's a problem now – not a normal situation,' Lee said. 'I'm angry about it.' Tai Po felt Noah Baffoe (right) fouled Gabriel Cividini (left) before scoring. Photo: Jonathan Wong In addition to the penalty decisions, Tai Po felt wronged when a shove on defender Gabriel Cividini went unpunished in the lead-up to Eastern's first FA Cup semi-final goal. Lee also attributed his team's chronic injury situation to opponents being allowed to rough them up with impunity.
South China Morning Post
20-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Eastern sink Tai Po in extra time to reach Hong Kong FA Cup final
Eastern stayed on course to retain the Hong Kong FA Cup as they overcame Tai Po 2-1 in a tight and tense semi-final at Mong Kok Stadium on Sunday. Advertisement As he is so often, Noah Baffoe was the Eastern hero. With the teams locked at 1-1 in the second half of extra time, Baffoe struck a penalty past Tse Ka-wing for his 27th goal of the season, after Kevin Moreno had been penalised for handling a low cross from Marcos Gondra. The prolific centre-forward had given Eastern a 29th-minute lead when he collected a pass from Leung Kwun-chung then outmuscled Gabriel Cividini to place a composed finish over the head of onrushing keeper Tse. Tai Po forward Michel Renner drew his side level in first-half stoppage time. Lee Ka-ho supplied the delivery from the right and, with Eastern No 1 Yapp Hung-fai glued to his line, Renner was free to sweep home from six yards. Baffoe would have the last word, however, to send Eastern into the May 31 final against BC Rangers. Advertisement More to follow …
