ACLE: 10-Man JDT Suffer Narrow Defeat To Sanfrecce In Hiroshima

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) 2025/26 Group A match at the Edion Peace Wing Stadium in Hiroshima tonight.

The result saw JDT remain sixth in the Group A standings with eight points, while Sanfrecce climbed one place to third with 14 points.

Xisco Munoz’s men took an early lead in the third minute when Marcos Guilherme calmly slotted the ball past the Sanfrecce goalkeeper.

However, JDT were dealt a blow when Jonathan Silva was shown a red card in the 17th minute for handling the ball in the box.

The incident handed Bartosch Gaul’s side the advantage, with Akito Suzuki converting the resulting penalty a minute later to draw level at 1-1.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, JDT created several chances to extend their lead, including an attempt by Yago Cesar, whose effort went wide in the 27th minute.

However, JDT fell behind early in the second half when Akito struck again in the 47th minute, finishing off a pass from Naoki Maeda to make it 2-1.

JDT are scheduled to face another Japanese side, Vissel Kobe, at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Feb 17, a match that will determine the Southern Tigers’ fate in advancing to the knockout stages.

-- BERNAMA