September 1, 1956 marked a major milestone in Asian football history as host nation Hong Kong and Israel kicked-off the first ever match in the continent’s flagship tournament, with approximately 30,000 spectators in attendance at the Government Stadium for the seminal moment.
The fans at the venue, which in 1994 would be redeveloped in to the Hong Kong Stadium, had just 12 minutes to wait for the competition’s first goal and it was Hong Kong’s Chang Chi Kong who wrote his name in the annals of Asian football lore with the inaugural strike.
The hosts would hold the lead until the 37th minute when Yehoshua Glazer scored, and although Chang would put his side back in front shortly after the hour mark, their advantage would last just ten minutes, Nahum Stelmach drawing Israel level before Glazer’s second of the game in the 76th minute denied Hong Kong the historic first victory.
Five days later Hong Kong were in action again as Korea Republic made their Asian Cup debut but despite taking a 2-0 lead in the first half, the Koreans battled back to level matters after the break and earn a point that would prove pivotal in the outcome of the four-team tournament.
An even more telling result came in Korea Republic’s next match two days later, as Woo Sang-kwon (53rd) and Sung Nak-woon (65th) got on the scoresheet in a 2-1 victory over Israel, with Stelmach’s second goal in successive matches not enough to deny the Koreans their first Asian Cup win.
South Vietnam had to wait until eight days after the September 1 kick-off to take their tournament bow against Hong Kong and the South East Asian side started with a creditable 2-2 draw.
However, South Vietnam’s chances of becoming the first champions were dealt a huge blow in their next game with Tran Van Tung’s second of the campaign not enough to inspire a fightback against Israel, with Stelmach’s first-half double (14th and 27th) ensuring the win and ultimately the Hapoel Petah Tivka attacker’s status as the AFC Asian Cup’s first top scorer with four goals.
The destination of the trophy came down to the final day with Israel as well as Korea Republic and South Vietnam in the mathematical reckoning to be the first ever champions and it was the Koreans that would claim their place in history after netting five of the eight goals in a high-scoring finale.
Sung Nak-woon put the East Asians 1-0 up with just five minutes at the Government Stadium in Wan Chai played before a Woo Sang-kwon penalty four minutes before the break ensured the Koreans had the advantage at half-time after Tri Van Dao had equalised.
Le Huu Duc restored parity six minutes into the second half but it was short-lived as Choi Jung-min restored the Koreans’ lead in the 57th minute before Woo’s second of the match made it 4-2 just 60 seconds later.
Huu Duc hit back with his second and South Vietnam’s third in the 63rd minute, but again their opponents’ response was immediate with Choi becoming the third player of the match to bag a brace when he made it 5-3 three minutes later with the final goal of the game as Korea Republic were crowned the first AFC Asian Cup champions.