Gil (Lee Man FC)
Nationality: Brazil
Position: Striker
Age: 31

After his performances in the 2021 edition of the AFC Cup, it’s hard to look beyond Gil, whose goals fired the Hong Kong side into the knockout rounds at the first time of asking as he netted four times in four games to finish joint third in the scoring charts.

The Brazilian striker enjoyed a fine 2021, finishing as his team’s top scorer domestically before shining on the continent, where his three goals in the group stage helped Lee Man advance to the Inter-Zone final as the East Zonal champions.

The 31-year-old was then outstanding against FC Nasaf in Uzbekistan, showing great awareness and clinical finishing to pull his side back from two down to 2-1 before winning the penalty that saw them level proceedings, only to be denied a famous victory in extra-time. 

Arguably as important, however, was his performance in the 2021 opener against local rivals Eastern, when he scored the only goal of the game in a result that ultimately saw his team progress. A year and a day since that victory, Gil is set to kick off his 2022 campaign against the same opponents.

Yapp Hung Fai (Eastern SC)
Nationality: Hong Kong
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 32

On the receiving end of Gil’s debut AFC Cup goal was goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai, one of Hong Kong’s finest players of recent times but whose rare error allowed Eastern’s domestic rivals to claim a crucial three points. The custodian may well feel he has a score to settle this time round. 

Eastern skipper Yapp has long since been Hong Kong’s number one and, indeed, as a 19-year-old starred as his nation beat Japan on penalties to win gold at the East Asian Games in what was one of the national team’s finest hours.

Thirteen years on, the now 32-year-old is still proving a reliable last line of defence for his country, with a clean sheet in June’s 3-0 win over Cambodia helping Hong Kong return to the AFC Asian Cup™ for the first time since 1968 to end a wait of more than five decades. 

A league winner with Eastern, where he has been since returning for a second stint in 2014, Yapp also has AFC Champions League experience with the club when they became Hong Kong’s first representative in 2017. He will next look to create more history by helping his side into the knockout rounds of a continental competition for the first time.

Marc Fenelus (Tainan City FC)
Nationality: Turks & Caicos
Position: Striker
Age: 29

Turks & Caicos striker Marc Fenelus has scored for fun since arriving in Chinese Taipei back in 2015, averaging well over a goal a game at Tatung FC where he won three successive league titles between 2017 and 2019, picking up the Golden Boot in two of the three seasons. 

Haiti-born Fenelus then swapped Tatung for Tainan City in 2020 and promptly picked up successive league titles with his new side and, once more, the Golden Boot in the 2021 campaign as he continued to be the most prolific and feared frontman in Chinese Taipei.

After COVID-19 prevented what would have been his maiden AFC Cup appearance in 2020, Fenelus made a belated debut last year, but failed to get on the scoresheet as Tainan City were eliminated at the group stage having won one and lost two of their three games.

The 29-year-old is once more on red-hot form domestically, though, leading the way in the scoring charts as his team set the pace in their bid for a third successive title. Ahead of Tainan City’s AFC Cup opener against Eastern on June 27, their striker may feel he has a point to prove on the continent.