The last time a Singapore side reached the knockout stages of an AFC club competition was Home United, as the Sailors were previously known as, in the 2018 edition of the AFC Cup.
The Sailors booked their spot in the round of 16 this season after topping Group F, ahead of Thai side Port FC, China’s Zhejiang FC and Indonesia’s Persib Bandung.
In the round of 16, they beat Thailand’s Muangthong United 7-2 on aggregate.
“We have to learn to crawl before we learn to walk, and then we learn to run,” said Rankovic when asked about whether making the final of the tournament is a realistic dream.
“Don’t jump so far ahead, we go step by step.”
