logo
Al Ahli Eye Maiden Continental Crown In Historic AFC Champions League Elite Final

Al Ahli Eye Maiden Continental Crown In Historic AFC Champions League Elite Final

Gulf Insider02-05-2025

Al Ahli Saudi FC stand on the brink of history as they prepare to face Japan's Kawasaki Frontale in the final of the AFC Champions League Elite Finals Jeddah 2025, with both sides vying to lift their first-ever continental title at Al Inma Bank Stadium on Saturday.
Backed by an unbeaten campaign and the energy of their home crowd, Al Ahli's dream is within touching distance. It's their second appearance in the final — and the most meaningful yet — as the club chases long-awaited glory in front of its passionate Jeddah faithful.
Head coach Matthias Jaissle, who has led the team to 11 wins and one draw in 12 matches, knows the significance of the occasion.
'From dreaming of playing the first match to reaching the final at home in front of our fans, it's been a special journey,' said Jaissle.
'I'm incredibly proud to coach this team and represent these fans. Tomorrow's atmosphere will be electric. Our supporters can give us that extra push, and we'll give everything to deliver the result they deserve.'
Al Ahli's route to the final has been commanding. They dispatched Thailand's Buriram United 3-0 in the quarter-finals before producing a dazzling 3-1 performance to eliminate four-time continental champions Al Hilal in the semi-finals.
With Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney, Riyad Mahrez and Galeno all delivering on the biggest nights, Al Ahli have emerged as a cohesive, dangerous unit that blends international experience with homegrown hunger.
But standing in their way are a spirited and tactically sharp Kawasaki Frontale, making their first-ever appearance in a continental final.
The Japanese side have built serious momentum with consecutive 3-2 wins over Al Sadd and Al Nassr in the knockout rounds.
Frontale head coach Shigetoshi Hasebe is under no illusions about the challenge but insists his team is ready.
'It's a big time now to become champions. Tomorrow the target is clear – to win the title,' said Hasebe. 'Even before we played Al Sadd, I believed we would reach the final. Now it's time to finish the job.'
Kawasaki's blend of youth and experience, showcased through standout performers like Yuto Ozeki, Erison, and veteran playmaker Akihiro Ienaga, makes them formidable opponents.
Jaissle, while confident, respects what Frontale bring.
'We respect Kawasaki's quality, offensively and defensively. It's not just about one player – every one of them can make a difference. The best teams reach the final. Let's see if we can surprise them too.'
Saturday's final promises fireworks, intensity and high drama. For Al Ahli, it's a chance to etch their name into Asian football history.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bahrain Represented, Asia Expanded
Bahrain Represented, Asia Expanded

Daily Tribune

time10 hours ago

  • Daily Tribune

Bahrain Represented, Asia Expanded

TDT | Manama The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed on Tuesday that Bahrain will receive two direct slots in the newly structured AFC Champions League 2 for the 2025–26 season, which brings a great opportunity for domestic clubs to make their presence felt on the continental stage. Muharraq and Khalidiya Set for Asia Reigning Bahraini league champions Muharraq SC and Khalidiya SC, winners of the King's Cup and league runners-up, will represent the Kingdom in this competition. The two sides earned automatic qualification based on their domestic success during the 2024–25 season. This marks a continuation of Bahrain's growing stature in AFC competitions, with the allocation reflecting the Kingdom's rising performance in regional football and the AFC's broader restructuring of its club tournaments. New Chapter in Asian Football The AFC Champions League 2 is part of the revamped AFC men's club competition framework, which now includes three tiers: the elite AFC Champions League Elite, the AFC Champions League 2, and the AFC Challenge League. Of the three, the second tier features the largest pool of participating clubs. The upcoming edition of AFC Champions League 2 will comprise 29 teams—14 from the West Zone and 15 from the East Zone, including clubs that fall out of qualification for the top-tier tournament. A further six teams will compete in preliminary rounds for the remaining group-stage spots. Group Stage Set for September The group stage of the competition is scheduled to kick off on 16 September 2025, with the official draw taking place on 18 August. The competition structure ensures that clubs from smaller footballing nations like Bahrain have an expanded platform to compete against comparable sides across the continent. This development could prove vital for the growth of Bahraini clubs, offering them a consistent stage to test themselves regionally and attract higher-calibre talent, both on and off the pitch.

Palestine out of World Cup qualification
Palestine out of World Cup qualification

Daily Tribune

time10 hours ago

  • Daily Tribune

Palestine out of World Cup qualification

TDT | Manama Australia confirmed their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 comeback win over Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, capping off a dramatic final round of Asian qualifying that also saw Palestine heartbreakingly eliminated by a stoppage-time Oman penalty in Group B. Socceroos Seal Sixth Successive Appearance Needing only to avoid a five-goal defeat in Jeddah to progress, Australia went one better, turning around a first-half deficit to take all three points and finish second in Group C behind Japan. Abdulrahman Al Obud opened the scoring for Saudi Arabia in the 19th minute, but Connor Metcalfe levelled shortly before the break with a composed finish after a sustained spell of Australian pressure. Just three minutes into the second half, Mitch Duke's glancing header from Martin Boyle's delivery gave the Socceroos the lead. Goalkeeper Mat Ryan, on his 100th international appearance, underlined his milestone with a decisive penalty save late on, denying Salem Al Dawsari and ensuring the Australians left with the win and momentum ahead of their World Cup campaign. Popovic Era Begins to Deliver Tony Popovic, who took over from Graham Arnold last September after a turbulent start to qualifying, expressed pride but also caution in his post-match remarks. "It probably hasn't sunk in yet," he admitted. "We've built a good foundation, but now we want to kick on and do something special at the World Cup." Oman Steal Fourth, End Palestine's Dream While Australia celebrated, Palestine were left to rue missed opportunity in Amman. A 49th-minute header by Oday Kharoub looked set to send them through to the next phase as they led 1-0 and held numerical advantage after Harib Al Saadi was dismissed. But deep into stoppage time, Muhsen Al Ghassani was brought down inside the box, and Issam Al Sabhi calmly slotted home the resulting penalty, sending Oman into October's fourth qualifying round and crushing Palestinian hopes. Oman's draw was enough to secure fourth place in Group B, joining Indonesia, Qatar, UAE, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia in the next round of qualifiers.

Japan, South Korea celebrate World Cup qualification with big wins
Japan, South Korea celebrate World Cup qualification with big wins

Daily Tribune

time10 hours ago

  • Daily Tribune

Japan, South Korea celebrate World Cup qualification with big wins

Crystal Palace forward Daichi Kamada scored twice for Japan and Paris Saint Germain's Lee Kang-in netted for South Korea as the Asian giants rounded off successful World Cup qualifying campaigns in style yesterday. Japan romped to a 6-0 thrashing of Patrick Kluivert's Indonesia in Osaka, while South Korea cruised to a 4-0 win over Kuwait in Seoul where fans were treated to a late appearance by their idol Son Heung-min. FA Cup winner Kamada struck twice in the first half for already qualified Japan, who finished as Group C winners. Takefusa Kubo, Ryoya Morishita, Shuto Machino and substitute Mao Hosoya were also on target against Indonesia, who came fourth in the group and moved on to a further qualifying round. Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu has set the ambitious target of winning next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. His side will play friendlies against teams from outside Asia over the next 12 months and Kamada is looking to learn from the experience. 'Playing against Asian teams and against the kind of European teams who will be at the World Cup is totally different,' said the 28-year-old. 'As we play these games, we will start to see a lot of areas where we need to improve. We need to come together as a team and overcome these problems when they crop up.' Moriyasu said his players need to keep improving 'in all departments' and praised their attitude against Indonesia. 'The challenge for the players is to break past their limits and grow,' he said. Iran and Uzbekistan are already through to next year's finals from Group A and Jordan will finish second in Group B to South Korea, who secured qualification last week with a game to spare. Jeon Jin-woo, who plays in the K-League for Jeonbuk, gave South Korea a 1-0 half-time lead against Kuwait in Seoul. The Koreans took control after the break with strikes from European-based trio Lee Kangin of PSG, Oh Hyeon-gyu of Belgium's Genk and Lee Jae-sung of German Club Mainz 05.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store