Li Ngai Hoi (Chinese: 李毅凱; Jyutping: lei5 ngai6 hoi2; born 15 October 1994) is a Hong Kong professional footballer who currently plays as a centre back for Hong Kong Premier League club Lee Man.

Li Ngai Hoi
李毅凱
Personal information
Full name Li Ngai Hoi
Date of birth (1994-10-15) 15 October 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Hong Kong
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back
Left back
Team information
Current team
Lee Man
Number 13
Youth career
2006–2010 Kitchee
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2020 Kitchee 47 (3)
2011–2012Hong Kong Sapling (loan) 10 (0)
2012–2013Pegasus (loan) 4 (0)
2013–2014Southern (loan) 8 (0)
2014Shenyang Zhongze (loan) 0 (0)
2015South China (loan) 1 (0)
2016–2018Pegasus (loan) 13 (0)
2021–2023 Nantong Zhiyun 39 (1)
2023 Rangers 4 (2)
2024– Lee Man 0 (0)
International career
2011 Hong Kong U-18
2012 Hong Kong U-20 1 (0)
2014–2015 Hong Kong U-23 4 (0)
2016– Hong Kong 13 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 January 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024

Early career

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Li was a student of Yan Chai Hospital Tung Chi Ying Memorial Secondary School and is under their youth football academy scheme with Kitchee. He also plays for the school's football team.[2]

Club career

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Li trained with English Premier League club Aston Villa after winning the Be A Pro competition organised by the club and Nike in August 2011.[3] Li was promoted from the youth system of Kitchee in 2010. For the 2011–12 season, he was loaned to Hong Kong Sapling to gain more playing experiences.[4] On 2 October 2011, Li made his debut for Hong Kong Sapling in the 2011–12 Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield first round first leg away match against Tuen Mun.[5]

In the 2012–13 season, Li joined Pegasus on a loan contract for an undisclosed fee.[6] He returned to Kitchee at the end of the season. In July 2013, Li joined China Super League club Dalian Aerbin for trial. Later, Li joined fellow First Division club Southern on a season-long loan from Kitchee on 7 August 2013.

On 9 January 2018, Li was recalled by Kitchee ahead of their 2018 AFC Champions League campaign.[7]

On 8 February 2021, Kitchee accepted Li's transfer request and stated that they would allow the player to leave immediately.[8] Four days later, it was announced that Li had signed with China League One club Nantong Zhiyun for a transfer fee of RMB $1 million.[9] He would go on to establish himself within the team and helped the club gain promotion to the top tier at the end of the 2022 China League One season.[10] On 28 June 2023, Li made his Chinese Super League debut for the club in the match against Shanghai Shenhua.

On 24 July 2023, Li returned to Hong Kong and joined Rangers.[11] On 16 January, the club agreed to terminate his contract upon his request to pursue other options.[12]

On 29 January 2024, Li joined Lee Man.[13] His move drew the ire of Rangers CEO Philip Lee, who had agreed to terminate Li's contract after the player had originally claimed that he was considering offers from abroad.[14]

International career

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On 3 June 2016, Li made his international debut for Hong Kong in a 2016 AYA Bank Cup match against Vietnam.

On 26 December 2023, Li was named in Hong Kong's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[15]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of matches played 8 July 2023[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Kitchee 2015–16 Hong Kong Premier League 9 0 0 0 1[a] 0 8 0 4[b] 0 22 0
2016–17 2 0 1 0 0[a] 0 0[c] 0 3 0
2017–18 6 0 1 0 0[a] 0 5 0 0[c] 0 12 0
2018–19 15 0 2 1 2[a] 1 5 1 3[d] 0 27 3
2019–20 13 1 1 0 0[a] 0 0 0 6[c] 1 20 2
2020–21 2 2 0 0 0[a] 0 0 0 0[c] 0 2 2
Total 47 3 5 1 3 1 18 1 13 1 86 7
Hong Kong Sapling (loan) 2011–12 Hong Kong First Division 10 0 0 0 1[a] 0 0[e] 0 11 0
Pegasus (loan) 2012–13 4 0 1 0 0[a] 0 5 0
Southern (loan) 2013–14 8 0 0 0 2[a] 0 10 0
Shenyang Zhongze (loan) 2014 China League One 0 0 0 0 0 0
South China (loan) 2014–15 Hong Kong Premier League 1 0 0 0 0[a] 0 4 0 0[e] 0 5 0
Pegasus (loan) 2016–17 7 0 0 0 0[a] 0 3[c] 0 10 0
2017–18 6 0 0 0 1[a] 0 3[c] 0 10 0
Total 13 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 20 0
Nantong Zhiyun 2021 China League One 22 1 1 0 23 1
2022 16 0 1 0 17 0
2023 Chinese Super League 1 0 1 0 2 0
Total 39 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 1
Career total 122 4 9 1 7 1 22 1 19 1 179 8
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Appearances in Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield
  2. ^ 3 Appearances in HKFA League Cup, 1 Appearances 2015–16 Hong Kong season play-off
  3. ^ a b c d e f Appearances in Hong Kong Sapling Cup
  4. ^ 2 Appearances in Hong Kong Sapling Cup, 1 Appearances in Hong Kong Community Cup
  5. ^ a b Appearances in HKFA League Cup

International

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As of matches played 26 March 2024
National team Year Apps Goals
Hong Kong 2016 2 0
2017 2 0
2018 0 0
2019 1 0
2020 0 0
2021 0 0
2022 0 0
2023 3 0
2024 4 0
Total 12 0

Honours

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Club

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Kitchee

References

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  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. ^ (in Chinese)董之英變身學界巴塞贈呂明才九蛋 Oriental Daily. 11 October 2010.
  3. ^ (in Chinese)劉學銘李毅凱維拉學法 Oriental Daily. 14 May 2011.
  4. ^ 傑志狙擊「魚腩」港菁誓再下一城 Archived 2 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Hong Kong Daily News. 25 September 2011.
  5. ^ (in Chinese)康寶高級組銀牌首圈首回合 港菁教頭:入球遲早來 Apple Daily. 3 October 2011.
  6. ^ "太陽飛馬顯活力 12/13昂首創高峰". Sun Pegasus FC. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013.
  7. ^ "傑志主場首戰對手欲組國腳級防線 全北汽車向江蘇蘇寧提出借洪正好". Upower. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018. (in Chinese)
  8. ^ Gao, Si Kei (8 February 2021). "傑志挽留不果 李毅凱投中甲 成一年內第二名北上港將". HK01. Retrieved 8 February 2021. (in Chinese)
  9. ^ "牛年开鸿运!中国香港球员李毅凯加盟南通支云". HK01 (in Simplified Chinese). 8 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  10. ^ 足球报:南通支云冲超计划提前一年实现 (in Chinese). sports.sina.com.cn. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  11. ^ "毅凱回流加盟流浪助戰亞冠外 李輝立稱對方盼返港向港足證明實力". Ming Pao. Retrieved 24 July 2023.(in Chinese)
  12. ^ "港隊守將李毅凱 亞洲盃表現受賞識 與流浪解約擬投新東家". Sing Tao. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.(in Chinese)
  13. ^ "放棄內地聘約 李毅凱自由身加盟理文". Sportsroad. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.(in Chinese)
  14. ^ "流浪半季後執位 大炒北區五球 林衍廷:重新認識吓隊友". inmediahk. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.(in Chinese)
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ LI NGAI HOI at soccerway.com Retrieved 2020-12-31
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