Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande are facing potential disciplinary action after fans held up a banner criticizing the Hong Kong independence movement. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is investigating the incident which happened during Guangzhou's 6-0 Asian Champions League win over Hong Kong champions Eastern. The banner read: "Annihilate British dogs, extinguish HK independence poison". Hong Kong is a former British colony. The territory was returned to China in 1997, under a promise that it would enjoy a high degree of autonomy.

In November, the Chinese government issued a rare ruling on Hong Kong's law, disqualifying two pro-independence lawmakers from parliament, leading to demonstrations from both sides. At Tuesday's game at Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong, one Eastern supporter displayed the territory's colonial-era flag, which features Britain's Union Jack. The AFC's ethics code says clubs could be forced to play at least two games behind closed doors over any offensive "words or actions" by their fans, while individual supporters found guilty could be banned from stadiums for a minimum of two years. Eastern manager Chan Yuen-ting, the first woman to lead a professional men's football team to a top-flight title, said she did not see the banner. "I was focused on the game, I didn't see what happened in the stands," added Evergrande and former Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.