Lion City Sailors may have a lifeline in their AFC Champions League (ACL) Two campaign following a shocking development after their 6-1 first-leg quarter-final defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima on March 5 following report of Straits Times.
The Straits Times understands that Japan’s J1 League side could face sanctions for fielding an ineligible player in the match at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima Stadium.
Checks by ST reveal that French forward Valère Germain, who came on as a 69th-minute substitute and scored Sanfrecce’s fifth goal five minutes later, was supposed to be serving a three-match suspension—ruling him out of the fixture against the Sailors.
If Sanfrecce are found guilty, the first-leg result could be annulled, with the Sailors awarded a 3-0 win. The second leg is set for March 12 at Jalan Besar Stadium.
ST understands that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which governs the tournament, has been informed and is investigating the matter. The Sailors declined to comment on March 7, while AFC and Sanfrecce have yet to respond.
The incident leading to Germain’s suspension dates back to February 2024, when he was playing for Australian club Macarthur FC. After a post-match fracas in the Asean Zonal final of the AFC Cup against Central Coast Mariners, the AFC retrospectively handed him a three-match ban in March 2024 for “slapping a player from the opponent team.”
Although Macarthur did not qualify for AFC competition this season, Germain joined Sanfrecce on a free transfer on Feb 27, making his debut in the March 5 quarter-final. Under Clause 38.2 of the AFC’s disciplinary and ethics code, suspensions carry over “to the individual’s next official club match in a continental competition in the same category of football.” If an ineligible player is fielded, the match is forfeited.
A similar incident occurred in 2016 when UAE’s Al-Nassr had their ACL quarter-final win overturned for fielding an ineligible player.
Before their heavy defeat to Sanfrecce, the Sailors had an impressive ACL Two campaign, topping Group F ahead of Thai side Port FC, China’s Zhejiang FC, and Indonesia’s Persib Bandung. They then swept aside Muangthong United 7-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.
Credit Photo : AFC
