Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) saw their hopes of reaching the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) knockout stage take a major hit following a 2-1 defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima yesterday. The match, held at the Hiroshima Soccer Stadium, began on a high note for the Southern Tigers as Marcos Guilherme scored a lightning-fast opener in the third minute. However, the game turned in the 16th minute when Jonathan Silva was sent off for a handball. 

Forced to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match, JDT struggled to hold off the Japanese side's relentless pressure. Akito Suzuki equalized from the resulting penalty in the 18th minute and then completed the turnaround with a second goal just after halftime. JDT head coach Xisco Munoz lamented the early dismissal as the definitive turning point of the frustrating night. 

JDT now faces a difficult path to qualify for the next round, needing positive results in their remaining group matches. Despite the chilly conditions in Japan, the team showed resilience, but the numerical disadvantage ultimately proved too much to overcome.