Anthem boos as protest-hit Hong Kong slump to Iran

Hong Kong fans booed their own national anthem and sang in protest against Beijing's rule as months of political unrest spilled onto the football pitch in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Iran on Tuesday.

Ear-splitting booing all but drowned out "March of the Volunteers", the anthem the semi-autonomous territory shares with mainland China, at what was Hong Kong's first home game after a summer of upheaval.

Fans also sang a newly composed protest song, "Glory to Hong Kong", repeatedly chanted "Liberate Hong Kong" and waved a black version of the territory's Bauhinia flag, a symbol of the protests that have gripped the city for 14 weeks.

The sometimes violent protests were triggered by alarm over a controversial bill, since scrapped, to allow extraditions to mainland China.

Millions of people have taken part in the demonstrations which morphed into calls for democracy and complaints against the erosion of freedoms under Beijing's rule.

"I think football is the most peaceful way to express our demands," Christopher Chung, a 22-year-old fan, told AFP.

"When you have a sense of belonging to a place, you will watch a football match there. So when I see so many people come here for the match, I feel really happy."