The Lion City Sailors wrapped up their AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) Preliminary Stage campaign in style with a commanding 3-0 victory over Kyrgyz Republic’s SDYUSHOR SI – Asiagoal at Hang Jebat Stadium on Sunday (31 August).

Goals from Ami Takeuchi, Miyu Inayama and Sarah Zu’risqha capped a flawless run for the Sailors, who topped Group C with three wins from three.

Having seen his charges dominate throughout, Sailors Head Coach Daniel Ong hailed the strides his side has made since last year’s debut campaign, when they lost both matches.

“Topping the group and finishing unbeaten is not something I expected,” he admitted. “Full credit goes to the girls for applying what we learned from last year and consistently putting in the hard work in training.

“Winning three games out of three against international opposition is a huge confidence booster. This will help them build a positive mentality moving forward.”

With qualification already secured, the 36-year-old rotated his squad against Sdyushor, as he handed starts to Beatrice Tan in goal and Nurhidayu Naszri on the wings.

Just like in the previous two games, the Sailors once again flew out of the blocks and in the 10th minute, Miyu split the defence with a perfectly weighted pass for the in-form Ami, who calmly slotted home her fourth goal of the campaign.

Sdyushor threatened to respond when Kenzhebubu Yrysbek Kyzy found space in the box minutes later, but Beatrice reacted sharply to smother her close-range effort.

The Sailors kept up the pressure, with Miyu and captain Umairah Hamdan both forcing saves from goalkeeper Dilnura Abibulla Kyzy.

Their persistence was rewarded in the 33rd minute, when Ayu’s mazy run led to Sarah’s clever backheel into the path of Miyu, who unleashed a fierce strike that rattled the crossbar, ricocheted off Abibulla, and nestled into the net.

It was a goal that owed much to the brilliance of Ayu, who was deployed in an unfamiliar wide role. She admitted, however, that linking up with close friend Dhaniyah Qasimah down the right side made the adjustment a natural one.

“Even though I’m not used to playing out wide, being alongside Dhani felt natural,” she shared. “We’ve known each other for a long time, so we understand each other’s playstyles very well.”

The Sailors were denied a third before the break only by Abibulla’s heroics, as she pulled off a string of saves from Eri Kitagawa, Sarah and Ami.

The Sailors finally struck again in the 62nd minute, when substitute Nur Ain Salleh whipped in a driven cross for Ami, who unselfishly laid the ball off for Sarah to net her first AWCL goal.

It was a goal that highlighted the growing chemistry between the Sailors’ local core and their Japanese teammates — a partnership that Ayu believes will only help the Singapore players raise their game.

“The quality of the Japanese players has pushed the locals to improve and elevate our game,” explained Ayu. “We’ve grown a lot together, and you can see the progress in how we connect on the pitch. It’s ultimately been a true team effort.”

The Sailors continued to press, with Sakurako Ohashi’s late header drawing another fine save, but Beatrice and her defence stood firm as the latter collected her first-ever AWCL clean sheet.

Reflecting on a historic AWCL campaign for the Sailors, Daniel paid tribute to his squad’s spirit and sacrifice.

“I have to praise their mentality. Despite many of them still juggling school and work, they’ve trained incredibly hard and made sacrifices to pursue the sport,” he said.

“Everyone knew this was a chance to raise the profile and standard of women’s football in Singapore, and they all embraced it.”

Now just one of three remaining Southeast Asian sides in the competition alongside Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Philippines’ Stallion Laguna, the Sailors will learn their fate in the 12-team competition when the Group Stage draw takes place on 11 September.

Flying the Singapore flag high on the continental stage is an honour for Ayu, who believes the Sailors can carry their momentum forward.

“We’ve already shown what we’re capable of. If we’ve done it once, there’s no reason we cannot do it again, and even better,” she said.

“We’ll keep pushing ourselves to give everything on the pitch.”