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Free Malaysia Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Mahrez and Firmino propel Al Ahli into Asian semis
Al Ahli's Roberto Firmino (left) celebrates after scoring the third goal against Buriram United at King Abdullah Sports City. (Al Ahli pic) RIYADH : Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino helped fire Al Ahli into an all-Saudi Arabian AFC Champions League Elite semi-final after the Jeddah club beat Thailand's Buriram United 3-0 on Saturday. Effectively playing as hosts since the quarter-finals to final are staged in Jeddah, Al Ahli needed only four minutes to take the lead at King Abdullah Sports City. Captain Firmino slid the ball through to Mahrez, who rifled his right-footed shot past Neil Etheridge in the Buriram goal. It took the Algerian, a treble winner with Manchester City, to nine goals in this season's competition, making him the joint-top scorer alongside Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari and Gwangju's Jasir Asani. Mahrez also leads the assist charts, with seven. Within two minutes, Al Ahli had another. This time, defender Roger Ibanez's expert pass sent fellow Brazilian Galeno through and the winter-signing from Porto fired through Etheridge's legs to double the hosts' advantage. On 16 minutes, Firmino missed a golden opportunity to make it 3-0, the former Liverpool forward somehow glancing wide with the goal at his mercy. Firmino, a Uefa Champions League winner during his time at Anfield, does not play for Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League having been replaced in their domestic league squad by Galeno. On the half hour, Firmino atoned for his earlier miss, tapping home Medih Demiral's flick from a Mahrez corner. Al Ahli seemed to ease off in the second half, although Demiral and Ivan Toney did have efforts at goal, while Mahrez fired off target in injury time. Matthias Jaissle's side will now meet Al Hilal, another Saudi club, in the semi-finals on Tuesday. Al-Hilal, the record four-time Asian champions, booked their spot in the last four on Friday with a thumping 7-0 win over South Korea's Gwangju. Later on Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr have the chance to make it three Saudi clubs in the semi-finals, when they take on last year's runners-up Yokohama F-Marinos of Japan at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City.
Epoch Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Epoch Times
Al-ahli Wins Its First Asian Champions League Title
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia—Al-Ahli won its first AFC Champions League Elite title after beating Kawasaki Frontale of Japan 2–0 in the final on Saturday. The star-studded Jeddah team, playing at home in front of 60,000 fans at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, deserved what was a comfortable victory and completed an unbeaten tournament. First-half goals from Galeno and Franck Kessie put the two-time beaten finalist in control against the five-time Japanese champion. The tournament quarterfinals, semifinals and final were staged in Jeddah and Al-Ahli rode a wave of support. The hosts were on top early and made the breakthrough after 35 minutes. Roberto Firmino fed Galeno outside the area and the Brazilian winger, signed from Porto in January for around $55 million, sent a curling shot into the top corner. Three minutes before the break, Firmino crossed from the right for Kessie, and the former AC Milan and Barcelona midfielder headed home from close range. Firmino won the tournament's Most Valuable Player award. Related Stories 4/28/2025 4/14/2025 Kawasaki, which knocked out Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in the semifinals to reach its first final, pressured after the restart but struggled to create clear chances against a team full of big-game experience. Firmino, signed from Liverpool in 2023, is a past UEFA Champions League winner, as are his teammates Riyad Mahrez and Edouard Mendy, who lifted the trophy with Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. Mahrez, with nine goals in the tournament, went close to adding a third late in the final, firing just wide. The home fans were already celebrating. 'We are so proud. Once we knew that the final eight would be in Jeddah, it was our goal to be champions in front of our fans,' Al-Ahli goalkeeper Mendy said. 'Since I came here 18 months ago, they have supported us so much. As I said when I signed, it was to make history, to win trophies and to make this club as big as it was before.' Al-Ahli is the third Saudi club to win the Champions League after Jeddah rival Al-Ittihad and Riyadh's Al-Hilal.
The National
05-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
AFC Champions League Elite format change: was new centralised finals event in Saudi Arabia a success?
The Asian Football Confederation might be an independent overseer of the game on the continent. But if they were not actively hoping Al Ahli made it all the way to this season's AFC Champions League Elite final, then they will at least have breathed a sigh of relief that they ultimately did. After all, the regional governing body had taken a risk when they opted to reinvent their premier club competition, and play a new finals event at one centralised hub. Gone are the guarantees of crowds that were inherent in the old format, where the final was played in home and away legs. As we saw when Al Ain beat Yokohama F Marinos at a packed Hazza bin Zayed Stadium to clinch last year's final. This time around, the last four surviving teams from East Asia, and the same from the West, travelled to Jeddah to player the quarters, semis and final. The final was set for King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, the magnificent 62,000-seater structure around 30 minutes from Jeddah's city centre. When Al Ahli – or their city rivals Al Ittihad – play at the ground informally known as The Jewel, it pulsates with the sort of atmosphere that has few rivals anywhere in world football. So it stood to reason it would pop once Ahli made it all the way to the final. Their 2-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday was an epic event. The atmosphere had been whipped into a frenzy over the course of the eight-day finals schedule. By the end, the city was enraptured by it. Jeddah was brought, if not quite to a standstill, then at least a very slow crawl. As traffic crept towards the stadium for the final, entrepreneurs hawked green and white scarfs, armed with card readers for quicker transactions. Thousands of ticketless supporters surged on the gates, leading for them to be closed while the security operation was beefed up. Once the hometown club had sealed their first Asian title, via goals from Galeno and Franck Kessie, joy coursed through the stands. As the stage for the trophy ceremony was being set, a number of players ran off to the dressing room to get their phones to record the celebrations. Riyad Mahrez took photos of his daughter on the stage. Ivan Toney made off with two match balls to give to his kids. And Ali Majrashi, the Ahli full-back and fan favourite, was crying tears of happiness. All of which is fantastic. But it does beg the question, what would it have been like had the final been played out between a side from Japan and one from South Korea, for example? Or even an Emirati, Qatari or Iranian club? There would have been as much tumbleweed as tickertape. Even when Al Nassr – a Riyadh-based club who have the sport's most recognisable player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in their ranks – faced Kawasaki Frontale in the semi-final, the ground was less than half full. The first phase of the competition was also revamped this year, along similar lines to the larger league structures than Uefa have done in Europe, too. There was then a round of double-legged ties – as the knock-out stage formerly was – in the last 16, as a bridge between the league phase and the finals. The three teams from Saudi Arabia topped the West zone, and they made it through their last 16 ties, too. Having Ahli and Al Hilal – another Riyadh club, but who have fans all over Saudi Arabia – in the finals phase guaranteed a decent turn out. The event will culminate in Jeddah again next year, and there are tweaks that can be made. For example, it would be fairer if the four quarter-finals are played over the space of two days, rather than three. Kawasaki, the winners of the last quarter-final, had to play all three matches within the space of six days. That is two days less than Hilal, who won the first quarter-final, would have had had they made it to the final. The tight schedule realistically favours the sides with the biggest budgets and therefore the bigger squads. You might assume that to be the Saudi Arabian clubs, but Kawasaki disproved that theory, thanks to clever management. They made six changes to their starting XI between the quarter-final and semi. They then made two more substitutions at half time in that game against Nassr, and had used all five replacements before 70 minutes were on the clock. It was all part of a perfectly executed masterplan by their coach, Shigetoshi Hasebe, who brought about the downfall of Ronaldo and Co. No wonder the club's fans love him. Ahead of the final, they were waving a sign carrying his image, with the message: 'Hasebe Frontale.' His expertise could only take them so far, and they were beaten by the best team in the competition in the final. Ahli definitely benefited from having such vociferous backing in the final, and they will be excited by the prospect of havening similar for their defence next season. Whether anyone from beyond Saudi Arabia - particularly those who have to travel from the other side of the continent - can mount a challenge is going to be intriguing to see.
Kuwait Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Al Ahli champions of Asia
Saudi club wins Asian Champions League • Firmino named MVP JEDDAH: Al Ahli were crowned champions of Asia at the third attempt after the Saudi Arabian side overpowered Japan's Kawasaki Frontale 2-0 in Jeddah on Saturday. The Jeddah club, runners-up in 1986 and 2012, triumphed at their King Abdullah Sports City Stadium thanks to two goals in seven minutes towards the end of the first half from Brazilian Galeno and Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie. The Asian Champions League's latter stages have all taken place in Jeddah. With the win, Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy and Riyad Mahrez become the first players to capture both Asian club football's premier title and its European equivalent. The trio won the Champions League with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City respectively. 'We are so proud,' Al Ahli goalkeeper Mendy said. 'Once we knew that the final eight would be in Jeddah, it was our goal to be champions in front of our fans. Since I came here 18 months ago, they supported us so much. As I said when I signed here, it's to make history, to continue to win trophies and make this club as big as it was before. The secret is the team effort. If someone makes the effort it will make it easier for the one next to him. We just played like this; you saw the fire, you saw the spirit.' Firmino said he was proud of making history with his Saudi club and becoming an Asian Champions League winner, six years after lifting the prestigious European equivalent with Liverpool. The 33-year-old Brazilian forward was an important member of Jurgen Klopp's side who won the UEFA Champions League in 2019. Firmino was named the AFC Champions League's most valuable as the Jeddah club became Asian champions for the first time. 'I'm very happy and very proud of the team,' said Firmino. 'Happy to make history here and able to repay the support of the club, family and friends. I'm very grateful and I feel privileged to be given this talent and opportunity. I always do my best to help my teammates and my team.' Firmino scored six goals en route to the final and was pivotal again in the showpiece. The veteran laid on the pass for fellow Brazilian Galeno to curl a delicious shot into the top corner in the 35th minute before producing a pinpoint cross seven minutes later for Franck Kessie to nod home. 'This title win shows us to have a monster mentality,' said Firmino. 'We always believed we could be champions and we have done it.' Al Ahli, who are majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, are awarded $10 million for clinching the title. Matthias Jaissle's side went unbeaten through all 13 matches of the campaign. Frontale, meanwhile, were contesting the final for the first time having never previously been beyond the last eight. Al Ahli too strong Al Ahli began on the front foot, summer signing Ivan Toney stinging the palms of Louis Yamaguchi on five minutes before the Frontale goalkeeper then saved Ziyad Al Johani's close-range effort from the resultant corner. At the other end, Frontale's Brazilian forward Marcinho showed some fast feet down his side's left, before sending his effort inches past Mendy's far post. Yet Al Ahli always looked the more dangerous. Toney lashed wide on the half-volley, defender Roger Ibanez curled narrowly off target and Firmino sent a volley straight at Yamaguchi. However, on 35 minutes, Firmino rolled a pass to winger Galeno, who curled a spectacular effort from 25 yards into the top corner. Galeno, a winter signing from Porto for a reported 50 million euros ($56 million), has actually taken Firmino's spot in Al Ahli's Saudi Pro League squad, meaning the former Liverpool forward is not registered to play in the domestic league. Three minutes before half-time, Firmino floated a cross into the Frontale six-yard box for Kessie to power home his header and double Al Ahli's advantage. The assist lifted Firmino, the club captain, to seven in this season's Champions League – and to one behind Mahrez at the top of the tournament's assist charts. Frontale, who defeated Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the semifinal, did not have a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes. In the second half, Firmino and Mahrez each flashed efforts well wide, with the former substituted on 74 minutes to rapturous applause. Not long after, Frontale substitute Tatsuya Ito fired two shots in quick succession inches off target. In the end, Al Ahli celebrated becoming only the third Saudi club to win the Champions League, after record four-time winners Al Hilal and two-time champions Al Ittihad. — AFP
Arab Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Unbeaten Al-Ahli wins maiden Asian Champions League title
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 4, (AP): Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia won its first AFC Champions League Elite title after beating Kawasaki Frontale of Japan 2-0 in the final. The star-studded Jeddah team, playing at home in front of 60,000 fans at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, deserved what was a comfortable victory and completed an unbeaten tournament. First-half goals from Galeno and Franck Kessie put the two-time beaten finalist in control against the five-time Japanese champion. Al-Ahli was on top early and made the breakthrough after 35 minutes. Roberto Firmino fed Galeno outside the area, and the Brazilian winger, signed from Porto in January for around $55 million, curled a shot into the top corner. Three minutes before the break, Firmino, who went on to be named as the tournament's most valuable player, crossed from the right for Kessie, and the former AC Milan and Barcelona midfielder headed home from close range. Kawasaki, which knocked out Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in the semifinals to reach its first final, pressured after the restart but struggled to create clear chances against a team full of big-game experience. Firmino, signed from Liverpool in 2023, is a past UEFA Champions League winner, as are team-mates Riyad Mahrez and Edouard Mendy, who lifted the trophy with Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. Mahrez, with nine goals in the tournament, came close to adding a third late in the final, firing just wide. The home fans were already celebrating. "We are so proud. Once we knew that the final eight would be in Jeddah, it was our goal to be champions in front of our fans,' Al-Ahli goalkeeper Mendy said. "Since I came here 18 months ago, they have supported us so much. As I said when I signed, it was to make history, to win trophies, and to make this club as big as it was before.'
