This meant the SAR finished third in the invitational tournament, which was won by Iraq, who beat the hosts 1-0 in the final.
Less than 22 minutes into the game for third place, the Fijians had two players sent off, both for elbowing the SAR’s midfielder, Ngan Cheuk-pan.
In between the red cards, Jesse Yu scored his first-ever goal for the SAR by heading home a cross from winger Everton Camargo, who also assisted on first-half goals for Juninho and Raphael Merkies.
A second goal from Yu and a close tap-in from Juninho following a save from Fiji’s goalkeeper put the score at 5-0 at intermission.
The big advantage allowed Westwood to make four changes at half-time, as the SAR continued to dominate possession in the second half.
They forced an own goal from Mohammed Ayman minutes after he came on for Fiji, while Everton and substitute Philip Chan also found the net for Hong Kong, China for the final score.
“When it was 11 versus 11, we managed to play in accordance to the manager’s tactics,” Ngan said after the game.
“I’m also glad that I managed to help the team in an alternative way, that we could play the game easier as the red cards were both for fouls on me.”
Yu, for his part, said he’s glad to find the net for the SAR, saying the game was important for the team’s preparations for the Asian Cup qualifiers next month.
The 23-year-old added he’s grateful for the support from fans, especially those who travelled to Thailand to attend the match in person.
Hong Kong, China had drawn Fiji 1-1 in a friendly a year ago.
