Yapp Hung Fai
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Yapp Hung Fai (Template:Zh, Cantonese pronunciation:Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Template:IPAc-yue; born 21 March 1990) is a Hong Kong professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Hong Kong Premier League club Eastern. He currently keeps the record for being the most capped player of the Hong Kong national football team, with 105 caps in total.
Club career
Born in a Hakka family, Yapp finished his studies at Form 5 level. He was accepted by Queen's College Old Boys Association Secondary School for Form 6 but he gave it up to pursue his football dream. He had already represented Hong Kong at under-17 level.[1]
Workable
Yapp Hung Fai started his professional career at Workable when he was only 17 under coach Lee Kin Wo and Chan Hiu Ming in 2007.[2] His salary was only HK$5,000.[3] During his time at Workable FC, he helped the team to an unexpected 1:0 win against South China AA in the 2007-08 Hong Kong League Cup.[4]
Pegasus
Yapp Hung Fai moved to Pegasus in 2009.[2] After helping the club beat Citizen AA 2:1 to win the 2009-10 Hong Kong FA Cup and qualify for the 2011 AFC Cup, Yapp Hung Fai announced that he will join league champions South China AA along with teammate Lau Nim Yat. Yapp said he decided to join South China before the game and South China's Hong Kong location will be easier for him to attend school. He is also not worried about competing with Zhang Chunhui for the starting goalkeeper place.[5]
South China
In 2010, Yapp Hung Fai moved to Hong Kong First Division League champions South China AA. On 29 September 2010, during Tottenham Hotspur's chief scout Ian Broomfield's visit to South China, he praised Yapp for his enormous potential. "He [Yapp] is not tall, but his reactions are sharp and he is quick to come out of the box to block strikers. He is also very committed and very well disciplined."[6]
After defeating East Bengal in the 2011 AFC Cup game at home on 14 April 2011, South China striker Mateja Kezman suggested that Yapp Hung Fai has what it takes to play in European football leagues.[7]
During the summer of 2013, Yapp had agreed to a 4.5-year contract with Guizhou Renhe.[8] However, his registration was denied by the Chinese Football Association on the grounds that Yapp did not qualify as a domestic player and as such, would violate the Chinese Super League stipulations which require all keepers to be domestic players.
Eastern
In June 2014, Yapp returned to Eastern after his contract with South China expired.
In 2016, Yapp helped Eastern win the first Hong Kong Premier League Trophy.
On 28 September 2020, Yapp also helped Eastern win the 2019–20 Hong Kong FA Cup. It is the fifth FA cup trophy for Eastern.[9]
International career
On 11 February 2010, at the age of 19, Yapp made his senior debut for Hong Kong in a 2010 East Asian Football Championship match against Japan.
In 2011, Yapp took part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification matches for Hong Kong against Saudi Arabia. Hong Kong lost the tie 0–8.
In the 2012 Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup, the first match at Hong Kong Stadium ended 2–2. After the second match ended as 0–0 in Huizhou Stadium, Yapp Hung-Fai saved three penalties in the penalty shoot-out to help Hong Kong win by 5–4. He is once again hailed as Hong Kong's cup winning hero.[10]
On 10 September 2019, Hong Kong played against Iran in a match of 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification. Yapp got his 71st cap for the national team with FIFA "A" international match, making him the most capped player of the team.
On 26 December 2023, Yapp was named in Hong Kong's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[11]
On 21 March 2024, Yapp made crucial saves against Uzbekistan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification match. However, the game ended in a 0–2 defeat for Hong Kong.
On 8 December 2024, Yapp got his 100th cap for the national team after playing against Mongolia in a 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Round match.
Honours
Club
South China
Pegasus
Eastern
- Hong Kong Premier League: 2015–16
- Hong Kong FA Cup: 2019–20, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Hong Kong Senior Shield: 2019–20, 2024–25
- Hong Kong Sapling Cup: 2020–21
International
Hong Kong U-23
- East Asian Games: 2009: Gold
Individual
- Hong Kong Best Youth Player: 2010, 2013
- Hong Kong Premier League Team of the Year: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Hong Kong Footballer of the Year: 2016
Career statistics
Club
As of 14 May 2023[12]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other Cups | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Workable | 2007–08 | Hong Kong First Division League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Eastern | 2008–09 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| Pegasus | 2009–10 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| South China | 2010–11 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 6[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| Total | 107 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 148 | 0 | ||
| Eastern | 2014–15 | Hong Kong Premier League | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 5[lower-alpha 4] | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 4] | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 5] | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 5] | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| Total | 134 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 186 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 241 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 334 | 0 | ||
- Notes
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International
- As of 10 June 2025Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 2010 | 5 | 0 |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 106 | 0 | |
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Player profile
Yapp has excellent speed and reflexes, making him an ideal one-on-one goalkeeper. He has a great ability of rushing out and closing down the attacker, and can react quickly to shots. He is also an excellent penalty kick saver, having saved penalties on multiple big occasions. However, Yapp is susceptible to crosses and corner kicks due to his lack of height.
See also
References
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- ↑ traditional Chinese 棄升中六飛撲青春夢 Script error: No such module "webarchive". The-Sun (Hong Kong). 5 November 2007
- ↑ a b traditional Chinese 生得逢時 避過外援氾濫潮 時勢造英「鴻」 Apple Daily. 28 January 2010
- ↑ Template:In lang天之驕子中鋒 x運滯落難門將 奪金功臣 榮辱路大不同 Script error: No such module "webarchive". Apple Daily. 13 December 2009.
- ↑ Template:In lang 聯賽盃足球賽（ A組） 華家堡爆大冷挫南華 Script error: No such module "webarchive". Apple Daily. 20 January 2008
- ↑ traditional Chinese 助飛馬捧盃 葉鴻輝投南華 Script error: No such module "webarchive". Ming Pao. 31 May 2010
- ↑ Template:In lang 熱刺球探觀操 讚葉鴻輝反應快 Script error: No such module "webarchive". 30 September 2010.
- ↑ 基士文薦葉鴻輝闖歐 Script error: No such module "webarchive". Singtao Daily (Vancouver, Canadian version). 15 April 2011.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Eastern Long Lions beat RF Win Hong Kong FA Cup and claim place AFC Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
- ↑ Template:In lang葉鴻輝3救12碼 氣走廣東 港隊重奪錦標 Script error: No such module "webarchive". Oriental Daily. 2 January 2012.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Template:Soccerway
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External links
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- Pages with script errors
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- 1990 births
- Living people
- Hong Kong people of Hakka descent
- Hakka sportspeople
- Men's association football goalkeepers
- Eastern Sports Club footballers
- Hong Kong Pegasus FC players
- 21st-century Hong Kong sportsmen
- South China AA players
- Hong Kong First Division League players
- Hong Kong Premier League players
- Hong Kong men's footballers
- Hong Kong men's youth international footballers
- Hong Kong men's international footballers
- Footballers at the 2010 Asian Games
- Footballers at the 2014 Asian Games
- 2023 AFC Asian Cup players
- Asian Games footballers for Hong Kong