The victory in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) final has earned Al Ahli its place in football history. They completed this incredible turnaround by defeating Kawasaki Frontale with conviction, 2-0. The final was played at Al Ahli’s home stadium in Jeddah. An incredible 58,281 of the home fans packed the stands supporting their squad, giving the match an absolutely magical feeling. With this win, Al Ahli became the first team to win this prized title. They accomplished that feat with an undefeated run through the entire tournament.
Young RB Salzburg Head Coach Matthias Jaissle took a daring decision. He made the surprising decision to field the same starting eleven for all three knockout matches leading up to the final. That level of consistency proved to be a golden virtue as the players showed exceptional cohesion on the field. Just prior to the kickoff, Al Ahli’s team arm-in-arm joined hands together in a circle. They absorbed the spirit of a supporter’s banner that suggested, “Eyes on the prize, Elite is ours to claim” in a big, bad way.
Al Ahli’s lineup boasted a breathtaking collection of A-list star power. Among these players were some of the best players in the world, including Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez. The club backed the managerial hire with a big-money signing spree for star players. Indeed, Mahrez’s wages there apparently exceeded the combined salary of the entire Kawasaki Frontale roster.
Then, in June, the Asian Football Confederation announced that it would be centralizing this year’s ACLE Finals in Jeddah. This change provided a huge competitive boost to the home team. The home support for local favorites Al Ahli proved to be a huge factor, as the team had a nearly full stadium of passionate supporters behind it.
In the 35th minute, Galeno placed himself in front of a weak back pass from a Kawasaki defender. With laser like perfection, he bent the ball into the upper 90, giving his team the only goal of the match. Just six minutes later, Franck Kessié did it again, doubling Al Ahli’s lead. He nudged the ball over the line from short range, crowning their complete control of the match.
Later, in his post-match comments, Jaissle reflected on the paralyzing pressure that often comes with the eliminators of such important knockout matches.
“It’s never easy; there’s a lot of pressure within such a match, it’s not normal.” – Matthias Jaissle
Jaissle credited his side’s spirit and their defensive work in the second half. Afterwards, he tweeted about their commitment to getting a clean sheet.
“You need to have a great personality and they showed that today. The second half we defended, we wanted to keep a clean sheet.” – Matthias Jaissle
What a big win for Al Ahli! Along with it, they were crowned the ACLE winners, making them the 25th different club to achieve the highest glory in Asian football. This victory puts an end to a five-year drought for Saudi Arabia when it comes to continental trophies. Al Ahli, who had been in the final two times before, were runners-up in 1986 and then again in 2012.
Like his compatriot, Makoto Hasebe, captain of J-League champions Kawasaki Frontale, was critical of his team’s displays. He recognized the difficult hand they’ve been dealt by their opponents.
“For us, if we could have played as we planned, we could have won.” – Makoto Hasebe
Hasebe recently decried the financial inequality that existed between the two clubs. He made clear that we cannot measure success simply by how much we spend in dollars.
“Players aren’t playing with their wallet or their credit card on the pitch.” – Makoto Hasebe
This is the ultimate proof of Al Ahli’s phenomenal technique and preparation. More than that, it highlights just how important their financial backing is in the modern game. The club is now one of four Saudi Pro League teams owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Yet in concert, this ownership has significantly increased their competitive advantage.
Celebrations are still underway in Jeddah and across Saudi Arabia. In a broader context, Al Ahli’s conquest will go down as a seminal achievement for the club itself and its fervent diehard fans around Asia. This victory marks the start of a new chapter for Al Ahli. We think it provides an excellent platform to build on for even greater successes in future domestic and international competitions.
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