AFC Women's Champions League
Needing a victory to secure top spot in Group C, Sailors rose to the occasion with Japanese duo Ami Takeuchi and Miyu Inayama finding the back of the net before youngster Nur Ain Salleh put the game beyond Kelana United’s reach.
There were no words to describe these feelings after the win, said Sailors head coach Daniel Ong.
“We are a young team and there are definitely a lot of things that still need to be addressed, but the players and backroom staff have always been very supportive and consistently give their best for the team.
“We were doing well in the past few games leading up to this. The momentum has been good, and we showed that we’re able to link up well, especially in the attacking third.”
Forward Raeka Ee, one of Sailors' budding prospects, hailed the team’s fighting spirit.
“We are very proud and honoured to have represented Singapore positively on the continental stage and to have done what we have done so far,” said 21-year-old Raeka.
“Coming into this competition, we were seen as underdogs and never stopped believing in ourselves. Eventually, we pulled this off and we will continue to back each other up and press on for the last game.”
For Kelana United, the defeat ended their hopes of advancing but head coach Omar Ali was optimistic in his assessment of his team ending their campaign with a win.
“I would like to congratulate Lion City Sailors, I think they deserved the win. They took their chances well,” said Ali. “We created some chances but failed to convert them. So once again, credit to Sailors because they succeeded.
“It wasn’t really the football I wanted. I wanted my team to play with my style but maybe they couldn’t manage it. Still, they did make some good chances.
“We must fight for points in the final group match (against Etihad Club). That is motivation for the team. Even if they don’t qualify, they must maintain that level of quality.”
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PS - Group D: Master FC (LAO) 0-5 Kaohsiung Attackers FC (TPE)
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