Takeuchi at the Double for Sailors

Japanese import's brace sinks Etihad for S'pore team's first win in continental league

- Kimberly Kwek

It was just five months ago that Ami Takeuchi had gotten to know about the Lion City Sailors, when their men's team played against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Two quarterfinals.

Back then, the Sailors had eliminated the Japanese club from the competition en route to a historic run which saw them become the first team from Singapore to qualify for the final of a major Asian club competition.

Since then, the 19-year-old had been keeping up to date with the Sailors on social media, before joining the club from Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies as one of five Japanese imports ahead of their second AFC Women's Champions League campaign.

On Aug 25, she played a significant role in another history-making moment for the Sailors, as she scored a brace in their 2-0 preliminary-round victory over Jordan's Etihad FC to secure the club's first win at the continental event.

On finding the net, Takeuchi said: "I was thinking about scoring a goal because we had to win in order to move on to the next stage."

The attacking midfielder, part of the Urawa Reds squad who won Japan's top-tier Women's Empowerment (WE) League in the 2023-24 season, added: "I am determined to help this team qualify...."I'm fortunate enough to be able to come to Singapore and I want to take this opportunity to let people know about Singaporean football."