“We don’t just represent the club, we represent the country. I don’t want to be arrogant, but I think with this (result), we put Singapore football on the (map),” said Rankovic. 

“People back home, where I come from, watch these games, and they know about us and ask about us. So it’s very important to have this kind of stage to show yourself.”

Lion City were awarded the first leg 3-0 after Sanfrecce were found to have fielded an ineligible player and the Singapore side enjoyed a dream start when Lennart Thy put them ahead in the 20th minute. Yotaro Nakajima’s superb free-kick drew Sanfrecce level but the odds became even tougher for them following Ryo Germain's red card six minutes into the second half. 

Rankovic, however, was not taking anything away from his team. 

“I really hope in the future, not only us, but a lot of other teams will also be able to compete on this level and make Singapore proud. I am truly honoured and happy to be part of this team.”