Hong Kong, China hold Turkmenistan in FIFA World Cup qualifier

HONG KONG, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong, China fought back twice to hold Turkmenistan 2-2 in Group E of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Zone qualifying tournament second stage here on Tuesday.

Hong Kong, China crumbled to a 4-0 defeat to Iran in the opening round, while Turkmenistan were turned around by Uzbekistan 3-1.

The away side took a dream start as Ruslan Mingazow, who played for HK Premier League side Kitchee, found the back of the net just four minutes into the game.

Hong Kong, China scored the leveler eight minutes later when Yue Tze Nam whipped in from the right, and Wong Wai steered his header into the net.

Turkmenistan restored the lead in the 36th minute when Mingazow beat goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai with a twisting header.

However, Hong Kong, China showed their resilience as Everton Camargo's strike in the 65th minute helped the home side secure one point.

Hong Kong, China will host Uzbekistan in Group E in March 2024.

In the second stage of the Asian qualifying tournament, 36 teams have been divided into nine groups competing in a home-and-away round-robin format. The top two of each group will advance to the third stage.