Jorn Andersen, the coach who led Hong Kong to their first Asian Cup finals in 56 years, announced his resignation on Wednesday. The 61-year-old Norwegian, known for his previous coaching roles in countries like North Korea, made the decision to leave at an emotional press conference in Hong Kong. Andersen revealed that he had received an offer elsewhere that he couldn’t turn down, leading him to end his contract about a year early.
During his time as coach, Andersen was credited with rejuvenating the Hong Kong team and guiding them to the Asian Cup at the beginning of the year. Despite being the lowest-ranked team at the tournament, they played competitively in games against the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Palestine. Andersen expressed his regret at leaving the Hong Kong football scene but stated that he was grateful for the fantastic journey over the past two and a half years.
There were rumors that Andersen might be moving to a club in China, but no official announcement has been made regarding his next destination. In the meantime, assistant coach Wolfgang Luisser will take over for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Turkmenistan. With Hong Kong currently at the bottom of their group, they are unable to qualify for the 2026 World Cup under Andersen’s leadership.
