Football: Al Ahli beat Kawasaki to win Asian Champions League Elite
KYODO NEWS - 8 minutes ago - 14:48 | Sports, All
Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli beat Japan's Kawasaki Frontale 2-0 in the final to win the inaugural Asian Champions League Elite on Saturday.
Galeno's 35th-minute wonder strike and Franck Kessie's header seven minutes later proved enough for the high-priced Al Ahli side, strongly backed by 60,000 fans at its home King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah which hosted the final.
Kawasaki came into the final after knocking out Al Sadd of Qatar 3-2 in extra time in the quarterfinals last Sunday before stunning star-studded Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, 3-2 in the semifinals on Wednesday.
The J-League side fell at the last hurdle but produced memorable performances at the centralized eight-team finals tournament, where they were handed the toughest schedule of any team with two-day turnarounds after a long journey.
"I've inherited the team from (predecessor Toru) Oniki and we've done well to get here, but I'm filled with frustration after not fulfilling my role," new Kawasaki manager Shigetoshi Hasebe said.
"I don't know by how much, but I believe there were things we were lacking and we have to look back on those to elevate ourselves. We're really thankful to our fans who came all the way and cheered their hearts out. We wanted to pay them back."
Former England forward Ivan Toney fired an early warning shot with a powerful drive to test Louis Yamaguchi before Ziyad Al Johani, one of two Saudi Arabian players to start for Al Ahli, had a close-range effort denied by the Kawasaki keeper off a corner.
Frontale winger Marcinho nutmegged Ali Majrashi down the left and forced a crucial fingertip save from former Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy in the 11th minute at the other end and the match was finely poised until Brazilian Galeno curled in a stunner into the top right corner from 20 meters out.
Kawasaki soon went a man down temporarily with left-back Sota Miura, who had kept Riyad Mahrez quiet until that point, receiving treatment by the touchline, allowing an opening to a clinical Al Ahli.
Roberto Firmino, previously at Liverpool, found himself unmarked down that side and delivered an accurate cross for former Milan and Barcelona midfielder Kessie, who rose to nod home and double the lead.
Kawasaki had chances in the second half, first through defender Sai van Wermeskerken's 57th-minute header at the far post. Fellow substitute Tatsuya Ito followed with two crisp strikes inside the last 15 minutes but both narrowly went wide and there was no breakthrough coming their way.
"I felt nothing beats individual quality," said Kawasaki's 20-year-old Japan defender Kota Takai, who starred against Al Nassr. "I think today's performance is where I really am at the moment. We just lacked the ability and will try again to go higher."
"I was relaxed mentally and there weren't many moments I was beaten, but I need to pay more attention to details when facing wonderful, top-quality players."
Kawasaki were looking to become the fourth Japanese club to be crowned the Asian champions this century after Urawa Reds, Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers won the tournament under its previous edition, the Asian Champions League.
Saudi Arabia will also host next season's finals and has also been provisionally confirmed as host for the three following seasons through 2028-2029 by the Asian Football Confederation.
Related coverage:
Football: Kawasaki beat star-studded Al Nassr to reach ACLE final
Football: Marinos lose 4-1 to Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr in ACLE last 8
Football: Liverpool to play F Marinos for 1st game in Japan in 20 yrs
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Portugal heaps praise on Cristiano Ronaldo after Nations League win
Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva praised Cristiano Ronaldo's "hunger" after the 40-year-old striker continued to defy the years with a 68th-minute winner that booked a spot in Sunday's Nations League final. Ronaldo came into the tournament amid swirling doubts about his future at the club level, with the veteran's contract at Saudi side Al-Nassr set to expire at the end of June. In May, the Portuguese posted on social media "the chapter is over" as reports emerged that he could switch to another club, potentially Saudi side Al Hilal, in order to play at the Club World Cup in the United States in June. But he left behind all the speculation as he knocked in his 137th international goal, extending his own record, in his 220th game for Portugal. Ronaldo had missed a few first-half chances, but after Francisco Conceicao evened the score, after Florian Wirtz put Germany ahead early in the second half, he was on the spot to tap in a Nuno Mendes pass which put Portugal on track for victory. "It's his ambition to keep going," Silva said of his long-time teammate. "It's never easy — I don't know how old he is, I think he's like 40 — to still be hungry to go every day. "He's been doing this for more than 20 years. It's tough, but he's here with us, and we're happy he scored again." The victory was Ronaldo's first against Germany after five straight losses. Portugal last won against Germany in 2000. Portugal coach Roberto Martinez echoed Silva's statements, saying Ronaldo's "hunger" and desire to improve made him a unique figure in the sport. "It's difficult to put into words," Martinez said. "He takes each day as an opportunity to get better. "As a human, when you have success, you wake up and you have less hunger. But not Cristiano." The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward also won praise from opposing coach Julian Nagelsmann, who singled out the veteran's professionalism as the reason for his longevity. "He is investing everything in his body, from sleep to nutrition, to the intensity of his training, so that everything doesn't hurt as much as it should at 40."
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Japan Today
Zico warns Japan players not to follow Brazilians into transfer trap
soccer By Andrew MCKIRDY Zico was instrumental in Japan's development as a soccer nation and has warned that players are moving to Europe too young, citing his native Brazil as a cautionary tale. The midfield legend ended his playing career in Japan after helping to launch the professional in 1993 and he also coached the country's national team from 2002 to 2006. He maintains a connection to Japan as an adviser to Kashima Antlers, the club he helped build into the country's most successful and where he has served as a player, coach and technical director for the past 30 years. During that time, Zico has seen Japan grow from soccer backwater to regular World Cup participant, with players thriving at some of Europe's biggest clubs. The 72-year-old says Japanese players looking beyond the is a "positive" development -- as long as they move at the right time. He draws similarities with Brazil, where he says some players leave for Europe after only a handful of games in the domestic league. "Brazilian players go to Europe too soon, losing their Brazilian roots. If a player isn't resilient, they come back because they haven't achieved their full potential there," Zico told AFP in Kashima. "They leave very early, they don't play and that's happened in Germany, it's happened in Italy, it's happened in many places. That's what's happening to many Japanese players -- they go there too early, lack confidence and then they come back." Zico says the trend is still overwhelmingly beneficial for Japan. He contrasts the situation to the early days of the when European clubs would sign Japanese players "for marketing reasons". Zico says the current picture is also different from his time as Japan coach, during which he won the 2004 Asian Cup and took the team to the 2006 World Cup. "We had some players in Europe but they would get half an hour, five minutes, 15 minutes in games -- they weren't starters like they are today, that's the big difference," he said. "So when they came back to play for the national team they didn't bring the same playing rhythm that they have today." Zico was one of several international stars drafted in to help the launch of the which brought professional football to Japan for the first time. The Brazilian, along with England's Gary Lineker and Germany's Pierre Littbarski, raised the new league's profile and helped football take root in a country long obsessed with baseball. High-profile signings are now rare in the with Spanish World Cup winner Andres Iniesta's move to Vissel Kobe in 2018 a notable exception. Zico believes it was "not a coincidence" that Kobe won two straight titles after Iniesta left the club in 2023. "It's an investment. Having a player of Iniesta's level at your club motivates everyone," he said. "You learn because he's a winner, it improves the performance of the other players and it motivates the supporters. Everything grows." Kashima currently top the even if the days when they could sign Brazilian World Cup winners like Jorginho and Leonardo are long gone. Zico joined the club when they were in the semi-professional second division and they have since won the a record eight times and the Asian Champions League once. Zico visits Kashima regularly to interact with fans and sponsors, as well as working with the club's youth section. He says the club is "like my son". "I watched it being born, grow and become what it is now," he said. "We have been able to take my experience in professional football and put it into practice here. A son is like that -- you educate him and watch him go through life." © 2025 AFP
Japan Times
30-05-2025
- Japan Times
Saudi officials working to keep Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Pro League
Saudi officials are in "difficult" talks to keep Cristiano Ronaldo in the country, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said Thursday, after the star player suggested he was leaving Al Nassr. The Portuguese superstar, whose arrival in 2023 heralded a rush of late-career players to the oil-rich country, could transfer to Al Hilal and feature in the upcoming Club World Club, the source said. "There is an ongoing difficult negotiation to convince Ronaldo to stay and play" in the Saudi Pro League next season, said the source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi soccer. "First option is a transfer to Al Hilal with an opportunity to feature in the FIFA Club World Cup or to Asia champion Al Ahli," the source added. The oil-funded PIF, the sovereign wealth fund behind a number of big-ticket Saudi investments, controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli. Ronaldo posted "This chapter is over" hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up this week, with Al Nassr finishing third and without a trophy once again. A special transfer window opens from June 1 to 10 to allow the 32 teams involved in the newly expanded Club World Cup to sign players. Last week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said "there are discussions" over Ronaldo playing at the tournament in the United States from June 14. Ronaldo, 40, joined Al Nassr in early 2023 from Manchester United, and his contract expires at the end of next month. "Ronaldo's presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half," the PIF source said. "He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia." Ronaldo's announcement comes just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in Saudi Arabia in January, after playing just seven times for Al Hilal — on a reported salary of around $104 million a year. Although Ronaldo was the Pro League's top scorer with 25 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al Nassr, which lost in the Asian Champions League semifinals last month. Last year, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner said he could end his career with Al Nassr, the Riyadh team favored by a number of Saudi royals. Meanwhile, Ronaldo's great rival Lionel Messi will play at the Club World Cup with Inter Miami. "And Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup," Infantino said during a recent interview with YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed. "There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup ... who knows, who knows." Saudi Arabia has shaken up soccer by spending heavily on stars from Europe, starting with Ronaldo's move, and the desert nation will host the World Cup in 2034.
