Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s costly decision to field the suspended Valere Germain in their 2024/25 AFC Champions League Two quarter-final first leg had severe consequences. Their commanding 6-1 victory over Lion City Sailors was overturned into a 3-0 defeat, handing the Singaporean side a crucial advantage. Unable to recover in the return leg at Jalan Besar Stadium, Sanfrecce’s failure to secure a win ultimately sealed their shocking elimination from the competition.
Despite fielding key players like Mutsuki Kato, Tsukasa Shiotani, Shuto Nakano, and Sho Sasaki, Sanfrecce Hiroshima failed to overturn their deficit in Singapore, as Lion City Sailors held them to a 1-1 draw. The result secured LCS a historic place in the semifinal of Asia’s second-tier club competition for the first time since 2004, when they were still known as Home United.
Sanfrecce asserted control from the start, while LCS suffered an early blow when Maxime Lestienne was stretchered off following a collision with Sasaki. His replacement, Shawal Anuar—already with seven goals in the campaign—was called upon to fill the gap.
Despite the setback, it was the Singaporean side that produced the first real chance when Lennart Thy’s header from the center of the box narrowly sailed over the bar. The German striker made amends in the 20th minute, seizing on Shawal’s brilliant footwork before surging through the middle and slotting the ball past a diving Keisuke Osako.
Sanfrecce nearly responded in the 28th minute, but Nakano’s thunderous strike from inside the box was parried away by LCS goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud. However, the Japanese side restored parity six minutes later when Yotaro Nakajima curled a free kick over the defensive wall and into the bottom left corner, leaving Mahbud with no chance.
Emboldened by the equalizer, Michael Skibbe’s men pressed for the lead, with Kato spearheading their attacking efforts. The striker was relentless in the 38th minute, launching a flurry of attempts that were repelled by LCS’s determined defense. Two minutes before halftime, his acrobatic overhead kick from close range was once again denied by Mahbud.
Sanfrecce’s uphill battle became even steeper early in the second half when Ryo Germain received a red card for swinging his arm at Bailey Wright. Despite being reduced to ten men, the Japanese side continued to push forward, with Kato and Nakajima leading the charge.
Kato had a golden opportunity in the 82nd minute to give his team the lead but mistimed his strike with only Mahbud to beat. In the 89th minute, Naoto Arai’s effort rattled the right post, but despite Sanfrecce’s relentless pressure, LCS held firm to secure their place in the semifinal.