The BC Rangers emerged victorious in the Sapling Cup final, defeating Kitchee 1-0. This win marks BC Rangers' first piece of silverware since 1995. The match took place amidst ongoing chaos surrounding Kitchee, with interim head coach Kim Dong-jin remaining on the bench while Edgar Cardoso managed the team. Kitchee's loss in the FA Cup and now the Sapling Cup final has left the team in a low moment. Kitchee midfielder Tan Chun-lok revealed that players were instructed not to comment on the club's managerial situation. Kitchee president Ken Ng Kin hinted that Kim's future with the club depended on winning the FA Cup and Sapling Cup [47b93b80].
BC Rangers' victory comes after a disappointing season, finishing third last season and losing 12 out of 19 league games. The club has also experienced internal issues, including a fallout between owner Philip Lee and forward Yumemi Kanda. Despite these challenges, BC Rangers' Ibrahim Yakubu Nassam scored the winning goal in the final. Yakubu expressed the significance of winning the trophy and the team's confidence. BC Rangers owner Philip Lee commented on Kitchee's performance, stating that they are not as strong as before and that BC Rangers' under-23 players are better. Lam Ka-wai, the winning captain, did not comment on Kitchee's problems and described the day as perfect [47b93b80].
Celtic was presented with the Scottish Premiership trophy by Santa Claus after winning the league title. The trophy was walked onto the pitch by a man dressed as Father Christmas. Santa had previously been booed by fans in December when he came on the pitch to do a prize draw. This time, Celtic fans were in a celebratory mood and serenaded Santa as he handed over the trophy. Celtic's win secured their 54th league title, putting them one behind rivals Rangers who have 55 league titles. The record for most titles in a single league country is 56, held by Linfield in Northern Ireland [4de185b3].
The South China Morning Post covered the story [47b93b80].