Rangers lift Sapling Cup in veterans’ final game
Former SAR football internationals Lam Ka-wai and Lo Kwan-yee received the perfect send-offs before their retirement as they led Hong Kong Rangers to a 1-0 victory against Kitchee in the Sapling Cup final on Wednesday. Rangers still have a game to go in the Premier League season, but the veterans decided to make the cup final at Mong Kok Stadium their last game before hanging up their boots. Midfielder Lam, a traditional number ten, captained underdogs Rangers, who took the lead late in the first half when striker Nassam Ibrahim scored a header from close range. Defender Lo, 39, came on as a substitute in the second half to fortify Rangers’ defence, which stubbornly turned away the Kitchee advances for a magical victory. After the game, Lam, 38, thanked both Rangers and Kitchee, a club he also spent more than a decade with, for giving him the opportunities as a player. The playmaker said he was particularly grateful to his mother club Rangers. “After Covid, I was a jobless footballer for a period of time. They quickly called me and asked me to join the team,” Lam said.  Lo, for his part, said jokingly he’s upset that Lam didn’t thank him. But he wanted to thank his teammate anyway, saying they’ve gone through so much together in their careers. Lam was capped 51 times by Hong Kong, China, scoring nine goals. Lo also found the net nine times during the 53 games he represented the SAR.