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#ACLTwo | Group E: Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI) 1 - 1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN)

Group E - MD5: Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI) 1-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN)

Manila: Kaya FC Iloilo’s slender hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 were extinguished on Thursday as a 1-1 draw with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Manila eliminated the side from the Philippines and guaranteed Sydney FC’s progress.
Aren Inoue’s goal for the visitors in the 68th minute cancelled out Shuto Komaki’s 18th minute effort to deny Kaya the win they required to keep their fight for a place in the last 16 alive for another week.

The draw moves Hiroshima, who had already qualified ahead of Thursday’s game, onto 13 points while Kaya have four points, five adrift of Sydney FC, who now advance as a result of their 4-1 win over Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern earlier in the day.
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Hiroshima, currently locked in a battle for the J1 League title with Vissel Kobe, fielded an inexperienced side but in the seventh minute Yusuke Chajima shot wide before Komaki lashed a long-range effort over the bar for the hosts two minutes later.

Marcos Junior then headed Makoto Mitsuta’s cross from the right beyond Patrick Deyto’s left post when left unmarked eight yards from goal in a lively opening to the game.
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By the 18th minute Kaya had taken the lead. Daizo Horikoshi bent his cross from the left towards Komaki, whose mishit strike rolled over the line with Eric Esso sliding in to make sure.

While Hiroshima dominated the opening period, Kaya gained the upper hand and almost added a second five minutes later when Jesus Melliza’s curling free-kick only narrowly failed to bend inside the right post of Yudai Tanaka.
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Mitsuta flashed his shot from 30 yards just wide of Deyto’s goal 11 minutes into the second half as Hiroshima looked for the equaliser and, at the opposite end, Kaishu Yamazaki’s attempt was a tamer affair, rolling harmlessly through to Tanaka.

Akito Saito’s downward header at Komaki’s right wing corner was thumped clear by Taishi Matsumoto as Kaya pushed to double their lead but it was the Japanese side who would find the back of the net next.
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Mitsuta’s cut back from the right rolled in the direction of Inoue and the substitute was credited with the goal as an attempt by Komaki to thump the ball clear cannoned past Deyto off the Hiroshima forward’s shin to leave the points shared.

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