Ashley Westwood
Hong Kong
146th FIFA World Ranking
Coming in as the 146th best country in the world, Hong Kong, managed by Ashley Westwood. Westwood is a former Imp, but only in the literal sense. He never played for us, and he never sat in the dugout! He was appointed assistant manager to David Holdsworth in May 2012, but within just a month, he had left. Portsmouth offered him a coaching role, and he snapped their hand off. Ironically, it was Michael Appleton who offered him the role.
This is his second management gig, and he hasn’t had it easy. He took charge of Afghanistan in November 2023, guiding them through World Cup qualifying despite a player boycott, although they finished bottom of their group, including Qatar, Kuwait and India.
He left for Hong Kong in August 2024, with a remit of improving FIFA rankings. At the time, they were 159th. His reign began poorly with a defeat to Liechtenstein, sparking criticism, but he quickly turned fortunes around. A six-game winning run, Hong Kong’s best since 1985, saw them qualify for the 2025 EAFF Championship, while a further victory over Macau extended the streak to seven before it ended with a draw against Singapore.
They have a double header against Bangladesh in October, as they seek to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup. They’re currently joint top of their group with Singapore, and have only qualified once since 1968. If they do get the better of the Bengal Tigers, then November 18th is the big one – Singapore at home.