Weekly Bangla Mirror | Bangla Mirror, Bangladeshi news in UK, bangla mirror news
Al-Ahli lifted their first-ever AFC Champions League Elite title on Saturday with a dominant 2-0 win over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale in front of a raucous 60,000-strong crowd at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
The Saudi club, boasting a star-studded lineup, completed an unbeaten run through the tournament and capitalized on home advantage, with all knockout-stage matches held in Jeddah. Goals from Galeno and Franck Kessie in the first half secured the historic win for a team that had previously finished as runners-up twice.
Galeno, a January signing from Porto for approximately $55 million, opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a stunning curling strike from outside the box after being set up by Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian forward was again involved just before halftime, delivering a pinpoint cross for Kessie to head in from close range.
Firmino’s performance earned him the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. The former Liverpool striker, alongside teammates Riyad Mahrez and Edouard Mendy—both UEFA Champions League winners—provided the experience and quality that proved too much for Kawasaki.
Despite knocking out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the semifinals, Kawasaki struggled to penetrate Al-Ahli’s defense in the second half. Mahrez, the tournament’s leading scorer with nine goals, nearly added a third late on but fired just wide.
The win sparked celebrations among the home fans and players alike. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy reflected on the team’s journey: “Once we knew the final stages were in Jeddah, it became our goal to win in front of our fans. We’ve worked so hard for this.”
Al-Ahli now joins domestic rivals Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal as Saudi Arabia’s representatives on the list of AFC Champions League winners.
