The Lion City Sailors made history once again as they overcame Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the quarter-finals of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two, holding the three-time J1 League champions to a 1-1 draw at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday (12 March) to secure a 4-1 aggregate win and book their place in the semi-finals.
Having been awarded a 3-0 win in the first leg courtesy of an AFC ruling — after Sanfrecce were deemed to have fielded an ineligible player — the Sailors took full advantage of the unexpected opportunity in front of a 4,193-strong home crowd.
An early goal from Lennart Thy was cancelled out by a Yotaro Nakajima free-kick in the first half, but the Sailors held firm to become the first Singaporean club to reach the semi-finals of an Asian club competition since 2004, when both Home United — the previous iteration of the Sailors — and Geylang United, now known as Geylang International, achieved the feat.
Given the circumstances that played a crucial role in their progression, it was a bittersweet triumph for Sailors’ head coach Aleksandar Ranković. Speaking at his post-match press conference, he said: “It’s a mixed feeling, but if you look at this game specifically, I am very proud of my boys and the way we played — especially against such a strong opponent — given how we were quite unlucky with some of the chances we had.
“We didn’t want to win the first game the way we did, but nevertheless, those are the rules, and we had no say in that. On one hand, I feel sorry for their coach, but on the other, I’m proud of our historic achievement.”
The Sailors’ victory, however, was slightly marred by the sight of key man Maxime Lestienne being stretchered off the pitch in the early stages of the game with an elbow injury.
The severity of Maxime’s injury drew concerned looks from both the crowd and the Sailors’ bench, but Ranko remained confident in his squad’s depth. He said: “I saw that he hurt his elbow, but we don’t have any details yet—we’ll only know more after the hospital checks. That said, we have a strong group of players who are always ready to step up, so I’m confident we can cope with his absence.”
Despite the loss of Maxime, the Sailors created the first opportunity of the game in the 16th minute when Lennart’s header sailed just over the Sanfrecce crossbar.
Just four minutes later, the Sailors found the breakthrough when Maxime’s replacement, Shawal Anuar, delicately controlled a loose ball before threading it into the path of an onrushing Lennart, who emphatically fired into the bottom corner for his second goal of the campaign, putting the Sailors 4-0 up on aggregate.
It took Sanfrecce 27 minutes to register their first effort on goal, but Izwan was equal to Shuto Nakano’s shot at the near post. However, the Sailors’ shot-stopper was left helpless in the 33rd minute when Yotaro Nakajima’s acute free-kick left him rooted to the spot and handed Sanfrecce a lifeline in the tie.
With the Sailors still in the driving seat at half-time, Sanfrecce pushed forward in search of the goals they desperately needed. However, their uphill task became even steeper in the 50th minute when striker Ryo Germain — who scored a brace in the first leg — was sent off for seemingly elbowing Bailey Wright.
Sanfrecce immediately responded by turning to their bench as they made a flurry of changes in an attempt to regain a foothold in the tie. However, they were met with a resolute Sailors’ defence that stood firm against wave after wave of attacks. Even on the rare occasions when Sanfrecce managed to break through, they struggled to create clear-cut chances to truly test Izwan.
The full-time whistle sparked a mix of jubilation and relief for the Sailors, capping off a game plan executed to perfection by the home side — who have repeatedly proven they can compete with some of the strongest teams on the continent.
“I think my boys executed the game plan brilliantly today,” said a delighted Ranko. “Although we were a little lucky with the red card, we still defended really well. I wasn’t too worried about their crossing ability because I knew (defending) that was one of our strengths.
“Beyond that, I had to consider several other factors, especially with many of my players fasting — particularly Shawal, who came on early and was exhausted towards the end. I had to carefully time their introductions, ensuring we managed every little detail — and it worked for us.”
The Sailors will learn their semi-final opponents on Thursday (13 March) when Sydney FC host Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the second leg of the remaining quarter-final tie. Meanwhile, they will return to action on Sunday (16 March) when they take on Balestier Khalsa in the Singapore Cup.
