AFC Asian Cup favourites Iran will be looking to build on their triumphant opening-day victory and book a place in the knockout stages when they take on Hong Kong at the Khalifa International Stadium on Friday.
Hong Kong entered into this tournament as one of the weakest teams and while they started their campaign on Sunday with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Group C rivals the United Arab Emirates, they put plenty on show to suggest they aren't just there to make up the numbers in what was their first Asian Cup finals game since 1968.
They now face a much-superior Iranian side that entered into the competition as one of the major favourites to go the whole hog and they began their group stage campaign with an impressive 4-1 demolition job of Palestine last Sunday.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Hong Kong vs Iran kick-off time
| Date: | Friday, January 19, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 12:30 pm ET |
| Venue: | Khalifa International Stadium |
The AFC Asian Cup match between Vietnam and Indonesia will be played at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
It will kick off at 12:30 pm ET on Friday, January 19, 2024, in the United States (US).
How to watch Hong Kong vs Iran online - TV channels & live streams
 | Paramount+ | Watch here |
In the US, the game is available to watch and stream online live through Paramount+.
Fans who are unable to watch the game can follow the live action on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Hong Kong team news
Sean Tse missed Hong Kong's opening match owing to a thigh issue, while Helio was also out due to a muscle injury. Chan Siu Kwan scored his fourth career goal for the senior side last Sunday in what was the 1,000th goal in the history of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Hong Kong possible XI: Fai; Nam, Gerbig, Hoi, Chan; Ming, Wai, Kwan; Camargo, Orr, Udebuluzor.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Yapp, Him, Tse |
| Defenders: | Keung, Gerbig, Nunez, Helio, Law, Hoi Li |
| Midfielders: | Chun-Ming, Tan, Wong, Ting, Kwan, Chan, Yue, Yin, Yingzhi |
| Forwards: | Orr, Camargo, Hin, Hei Yin, Udebuluzor, Ming-Him, Pereira, Juninho |
Iran team news
Iran were without the services of Ali Gholizadeh for their opener due to an injury. AS Roma striker Sardar Azmoun scored his 50th goal for the national team last weekend, taking him into joint second in the all-time scorer's list alongside Karim Bagheri, with Ali Daei holding the outright record with 108.
Iran possible XI: Beiranvand; Hosseini, Kanaanizadegan, Khalilzadeh, Hajsafi; Cheshmi, Ebrahimi; Jahanbakhsh, Taremi, Ghayedi; Ansarifard.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Beiranvand, Niazmand, Hosseini |
| Defenders: | Moharrami, Mohammadi, Hosseini, Haji Safi, Khalilzadeh, Kanaani, Cheshmi, Fallah |
| Midfielders: | Jahanbakhsh, Gholizadeh, Ezatolahi, Rezaeian, Ebrahimi, Mohebi, Yousefi |
| Forwards: | Taremi, Azmoun, Ghoddos, Ansarifard, Ghayedi, Torabi, Moghanlou, Asadi |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 11/16/23 | Iran 4-0 Hong Kong | World Championship Qual. AFC |
| 06/03/21 | Iran 3-1 Hong Kong | World Championship Qual. AFC |
| 09/10/19 | Hong Kong 0-2 Iran | World Championship Qual. AFC |