Yapp Hung Fai

In this Chinese name, the family name is Yapp (葉).

Yapp Hung Fai
葉鴻輝
Yapp with Eastern in 2023
Personal information
Full name Yapp Hung Fai
Date of birth (1990-03-21) 21 March 1990
Place of birth British Hong Kong
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Eastern
Number 1
Youth career
2005–2007 Hong Kong 09
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Workable 13 (0)
2008–2009 Eastern 21 (0)
2009–2010 Pegasus 16 (0)
2010–2014 South China 57 (0)
2014– Eastern 175 (0)
International career‡
2009–2014 Hong Kong U-23 17 (0)
2010– Hong Kong 109 (0)
Medal record
Representing Hong Kong
East Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2009 Hong Kong Football
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14 May 2023
‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 July 2025

Yapp Hung Fai (Chinese: 葉鴻輝; Jyutping: jip6 hung4 fai1, Cantonese pronunciation: [jip̚˨.hʊŋ˩.fɐj˥]; 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 109 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.[2]

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.[3] His salary was only HK$5,000.[4] 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.[5]

Pegasus

Yapp Hung Fai moved to Pegasus in 2009.[3] 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.[6]

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."[7]

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.[8]

During the summer of 2013, Yapp had agreed to a 4.5-year contract with Guizhou Renhe.[9] 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.[10]

On November 20, 2024, Yip Hung Fai played his 200th match for Eastern.

2024-25 season, Yip Hung Fai helped Eastern win the Hong Kong FA Cup [11]and the Senior Shield Trophy[12].

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.[13]

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.[14]

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.[15]

Honours

Club

South China

Pegasus

Eastern

International

Hong Kong U-23

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[16]

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[a] 0 0 0 15 0
Eastern 2008–09 21 0 1 0 1[a] 0 0 0 23 0
Pegasus 2009–10 16 0 3 0 2[a] 0 0 0 21 0
South China 2010–11 10 0 2 0 2[a] 0 6[b] 0 20 0
2011–12 17 0 1 0 5[a] 0 0 0 23 0
2012–13 17 0 5 0 4[a] 0 0 0 26 0
2013–14 13 0 2 0 3[a] 0 2[b] 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[a] 0 0 0 20 0
2015–16 15 0 1 0 3[a] 0 0 0 19 0
2016–17 20 0 2 0 4[c] 0 5[d] 0 31 0
2017–18 16 0 1 0 5[c] 0 1[d] 0 23 0
2018–19 18 0 1 0 2[a] 0 0 0 21 0
2019–20 13 0 4 0 3[a] 0 0 0 20 0
2020–21 16 0 0 0 2[e] 0 2[b] 0 20 0
2021–22 4 0 2 0 1[e] 0 2[b] 0 9 0
2022–23 18 0 2 0 3[a] 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
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Appearances in the Senior Shield
  2. ^ a b c d Appearances in the AFC Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearances in the Sapling Cup and Senior Shield
  4. ^ a b Appearances in the AFC Champions League
  5. ^ a b Appearances in the Sapling Cup

International

As of 15 July 2025
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 7 0
Total 109 0

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

  1. ^ www.the-afc.com https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/teams/2023/afc_asian_cup/hong-kong-china. Retrieved 14 January 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ traditional Chinese 棄升中六飛撲青春夢 Archived 7 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine The-Sun (Hong Kong). 5 November 2007
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ (in Chinese)天之驕子中鋒 x運滯落難門將 奪金功臣　榮辱路大不同 Archived 14 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine Apple Daily. 13 December 2009.
  5. ^ (in Chinese) 聯賽盃足球賽（ A組） 華家堡爆大冷挫南華 Archived 12 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine Apple Daily. 20 January 2008
  6. ^ traditional Chinese 助飛馬捧盃 葉鴻輝投南華 Archived 28 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Ming Pao. 31 May 2010
  7. ^ (in Chinese) 熱刺球探觀操 讚葉鴻輝反應快 Archived 28 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine 30 September 2010.
  8. ^ 基士文薦葉鴻輝闖歐 Archived 11 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Singtao Daily (Vancouver, Canadian version). 15 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Hong Kong international Yapp Hung-fai denied chance to play with CSL club". 19 July 2013. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  10. ^ Eastern Long Lions beat RF Win Hong Kong FA Cup and claim place AFC
  11. ^ "Eastern win Hong Kong FA Cup but hat-trick hero Noah Baffoe announces departure". South China Morning Post. 31 May 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Eastern win Hong Kong's Senior Shield final – but are told celebrating is banned". South China Morning Post. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  13. ^ (in Chinese)葉鴻輝3救12碼 氣走廣東 港隊重奪錦標 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Oriental Daily. 2 January 2012.
  14. ^ "中國香港代表隊 – 決選名單" [Hong Kong, China Team – Finalists]. Hong Kong Football Association (in Chinese). 26 December 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Secretive Hong Kong poised for EAFF qualifiers, but keeper Yapp set for 100 caps". South China Morning Post. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  16. ^ Yapp Hung Fai at Soccerway
Sporting positions
Preceded by Hong Kong national under-23 football team captain
2011 		Succeeded by
Tam Lok Hin
Preceded by Hong Kong national football team captain
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
Huang Yang
Preceded by
Huang Yang
 Hong Kong national football team captain
2023– 		Succeeded by
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