| Event | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Hong Kong qualifies for the final round of qualification. | |||||||
| Date | 19 May 1985 | ||||||
| Venue | Workers' Stadium, Beijing | ||||||
| Referee | Melvyn D'Souza (India) | ||||||
| Attendance | 80,000 | ||||||
China v Hong Kong was a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification match played on 19 May 1985, noteworthy in that the surprise result caused deep dissatisfaction and hooliganism among Mainland Chinese football fans, leading to the match being immortalised as the 19 May Incident or 5.19 incident (Chinese: 五一九事件).[1]
Needing a victory to advance, Hong Kong achieved a stunning 2–1 win to eliminate heavily-favoured China, with goals from Cheung Chi Tak in the 19th minute and Ku Kam Fai in the 60th minute. Indian referee Melvyn D'Souza officiated the match, which was described by commentators at the time as being played in an unusually intense (for an Asian World Cup qualifier) manner. After the loss, disgruntled home fans rioted in the Workers' Stadium and the People's Armed Police were needed to restore order. Due to the high stakes, the match was one of the most notable in the rivalry between the China and Hong Kong national football teams.
- ^ "The 5.19 incident: China's doomed attempt to qualify for Mexico '86". wildeastfootball.net. 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017.