Lunar New Year Cup

The Lunar New Year Cup, previously known as the Carlsberg Challenge or the Carlsberg Cup, is an annual invitational football tournament organised in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) since 1908. It is usually held on the first and the fourth day of the Lunar New Year as a part of the new year celebrations. The tournament was called the Carlsberg Cup from 1986 to 1989, from 1993 to 2006 as Carlsberg was the major sponsor of the event.

Lunar New Year Cup
Organising bodyHong Kong Football Association
Founded1908 (1908)
Current champions Shandong Luneng
2020 Lunar New Year Cup

Since the 2007 edition of the event, the competition has officially been known as the Lunar New Year Cup by the Hong Kong Football Association. This is because Carlsberg is now no longer the major sponsor but a mere co-sponsor. During 2011 and 2012, the name of the event was changed to Asian Challenge Cup.

Early-period

In the period before and around the Second World War, the Lunar New Year Cup was competed for by teams from Hong Kong and mainland China. Since 1950, HKFA has invited at least one overseas team to enter the competition. Before 1982, there were three exhibition matches in the tournament. The first two were usually played by the Hong Kong national football team, Hong Kong player team and Hong Kong League XI while the Chinese XI played the last match.

International competition

In 1983, there was a main sponsorship for the competition for the first time and the number of invited teams was increased to three. From 1993 onwards, national teams rather than club teams were invited to participate in the competition.

Competition name and sponsorship

YearCompetition NameSponsor
1983Coupe du Solvil et Titus Solvil et Titus
1984Adidas Gold Cup Adidas
1986-1989Carlsberg Cup Carlsberg
1990-1992Marlboro Cup Malboro
1993-2006Carlsberg Cup Carlsberg
2008Wing Lung Bank Cup Wing Lung Bank
2010Fortis Insurance Company Tiger Lunar New Year Cup[1] Fortis Insurance Company
2011RedMR Asian Challenge Cup RedMR
2012Nikon Asian Challenge Cup Nikon
2013China Mobile Satellite Communications Cup[2] China Mobile Satellite Communications
2014AET Cup AET
2017Nike Lunar New Year Cup[3] Nike
2019Tonghai Financial Chinese New Year Cup[4] China Tonghai Financial

Results

Year Final Third place match
Winner Score Runner-up Third place Score Fourth place
1908–1973 Interport & Exhibition Matches
1974
Hong Kong
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
CA Juventus

Sporting CP
1975
Independiente
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
Hong Kong

Hong Kong League XI
1976
Grasshopper
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
Hong Kong League XI

Hong Kong
1977
Sparta Rotterdam
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
Hong Kong

Hong Kong League XI
1978
China PR
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
Servette FC

Hong Kong
1979
Guangdong
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
Östers IF

Hong Kong League XI
1980
Red Star Belgrade
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
Hong Kong League XI

Hong Kong
1981
Dinamo Zagreb
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
Hong Kong League XI

Hong Kong
1982
FK Austria Wien
1–0[5]
Hallelujah FC

Seiko SA
1–1
(5–3) PSO

Hong Kong League XI
1983
Hong Kong League XI
2–0
Hallelujah FC

AGF
3–1
Beijing Selection
1984
FK Partizan
1–0
Hong Kong League XI

Daewoo Royals
2–1[6]
Lyngby Boldklub
1985
Hong Kong League British XI
1–0
Hong Kong League XI

Guangzhou
N/A
Shanghai
1986
Paraguay
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
South Korea

Hong Kong League XI
1987
Brøndby IF
2–0
Hong Kong

Beijing
1–0
Shanghai
1988
Hong Kong League XI
0–0
(5–3) PSO

AGF

Lucky-Goldstar FC
3–0[7]
Dalian Shide
1989
Malmö FF
(Four-team round-robin tournament)
China PR

Hong Kong

Odense BK
1990
Sparta Prague
2–0
China PR

Spartak Moscow
4–1
Hong Kong League XI
1991
Hong Kong League XI
3–1
Aston Villa

FC Dynamo Moscow
2–0
Thailand
1992
Hong Kong League XI
2–2
(3–2) PSO

FK Partizan

Steaua Bucureşti
2–0
BSC Young Boys Bern
1993
Switzerland
3–2
Hong Kong League XI

Denmark U-21
2–1
Japan
1994
Denmark
2–0
Hong Kong League XI

Romania League XI
2–1
United States
1995
FR Yugoslavia
1–0
South Korea

Colombia
3–1
Hong Kong League XI
1996
Sweden
1–1
(5–4) PSO

Japan

Poland
1–0
Hong Kong League XI
1997
Russia
2–1
Switzerland

FR Yugoslavia
3–1
Hong Kong League XI
1998
Nigeria
2–0
Hong Kong League XI

Iran
1–1
(4–2) PSO

Chile
1999
Mexico
3–0
Egypt

Bulgaria
3–0
Hong Kong League XI
2000
Czech Republic
2–1
Mexico

Japan
0–0
(6–5) PSO

Hong Kong League XI
2001
Norway
2–1
Hong Kong League XI

South Korea
1–1
(6–5) PSO

Paraguay
2002
Honduras
1–0
Hong Kong League XI

Slovenia
0–0
(4–3) PSO

China PR
2003
Uruguay
1–1
(4–2) PSO

Iran

Denmark League XI
2–1
Hong Kong League XI
2004
Norway
3–1
Honduras

Sweden
3–0
Hong Kong League XI
2005
Brazil
7–1
Hong Kong
2 teams only.
2006
Denmark
3–1
South Korea

Croatia
4–0
Hong Kong
2007
Jamaica Olympic Team
0–0
(5–4) PSO

China PR Olympic Team

Australia Olympic Team
2–2
(5–3) PSO

Hong Kong League XI
2008
Hong Kong League XI
2–1
HNK Hajduk Split

Peñarol
1–1
(5–4) PSO

Ulsan Hyundai
2009
South China & Pegasus United
2–1
Sparta Prague

Suwon Samsung Bluewings
0–0
(5–4) PSO

Hong Kong League XI
2010
Pohang Steelers
(Three-team round-robin tournament)
Kitchee

Pegasus Invitation Team
2011
Tianjin Teda
0–0
(5–3) PSO

Guangzhou Evergrande

Ulsan Hyundai
4–2
South China
2012
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
5–1
Shimizu S-Pulse

Guangzhou R&F
1–1
(3–1) PSO

South China
2013
Busan IPark
1–0
Shanghai East Asia

Hong Kong League XI
1–0
Muangthong United
2014
Citizen & Cuenca United
2–0
Olhanense

Krylia Sovetov
1–0
FC Tokyo
2015
New York Cosmos
2–2
(4–2) PSO

South China
2 teams only.
2016
Hong Kong League XI
4–0
Hong Kong
2 teams only.
2017
Auckland City
1–0
Kitchee

Muangthong United
1–0
FC Seoul
2018
Hong Kong League XI
4–3
Hong Kong
2 teams only.
2019
Shandong Luneng
3–1
Sagan Tosu

Hong Kong League XI
1–0
Auckland City
2020
Hong Kong League XI
Cancelled[1]
Hong Kong
2 teams only.
Notes
  1. ^
    Event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

See also

References

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