The Lion City Sailors achieved a significant milestone by advancing to the semifinals of the AFC Cup with a 4-1 aggregate victory in the quarterfinals. The Singaporean club, formed from the now-defunct Home United, will face either Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors or Sydney FC in the next round. This marks the first time since 2004 that a Singaporean club has reached the semifinals of this prestigious tournament.
The Sailors' historic night was marred by an early injury to key player Maxime Lestienne. The incident occurred when Lestienne collided with Sanfrecce captain Sho Sasaki, leaving him writhing in agony with what appeared to be an arm injury. Despite this setback, the team managed to maintain their composure and dominate the game.
The Sailors took an early lead in the 20th minute, thanks to an ingenious play by Shawal Anuar. Anuar skillfully released Lennart Thy with a flick over his shoulder, allowing Thy to charge into the area and drill a shot that found the bottom corner of the net unerringly. This goal set the tone for the rest of the match.
Sanfrecce responded four minutes after the half-hour mark, with Yotaro Nakajima executing a deft freekick that bounced past a stranded Izwan Mahbud. However, any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Ryo Germain was sent off for violent conduct just six minutes after the restart.
Despite these challenges, the Sailors held firm and secured their place in the semifinals. Reflecting on their journey, coach Aleksandar Ranković emphasized a step-by-step approach to their success.
"Step by step, first we have to see who we're going to draw." – Aleksandar Ranković
Lennart Thy expressed his appreciation for reaching this stage in the tournament.
"I appreciate this [getting this far in the ACL Two] extremely," – Lennart Thy
Ranković remained focused on the future, highlighting the importance of taking one game at a time.
"It's good to have a dream and you should have it. But for me, as a coach, that's not permitted. I have to focus — and my next game is on Sunday." – Aleksandar Ranković
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