Sanfrecce Hiroshima Victory Overturned after fielding Suspended Player

Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s 6-1 victory over Lion City Sailors in the first leg of their Asian Champions League Two quarter-final has been overturned by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) due to the fielding of a suspended player. The Japanese club must now forfeit the match, with Lion City Sailors awarded a 3-0 win.

The AFC announced the decision late on Saturday, citing the ineligibility of Valere Germain. Germain, who joined Hiroshima from Australia’s Macarthur FC last month, was still serving a three-match ban for conduct in last year’s AFC Cup competition. The French forward had come on as a second-half substitute and scored Hiroshima’s sixth goal in the original match.

In addition to the overturned result, Hiroshima have been fined $1,000 and will forfeit half of their $160,000 participation fee.

The ruling dramatically alters the complexion of the tie. Hiroshima now face a significant challenge in the second leg at Singapore’s Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday, needing to overcome a three-goal deficit to advance to the semi-finals. The initial 6-1 victory had seemingly put the J-League side in a commanding position, but the administrative error has handed Lion City Sailors a major advantage.