Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli defeated Japan's Kawasaki Frontale 2-0 to win the Asian Champions League elite championship at a raucous Kings Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Saturday.
Brazilian winger Galeno broke Kawasaki's resistance in the 35th minute when he bent his unstoppable strike to the top corner to send the home run to their first Asian champion while Franck Kessié headed out after the second seven minutes.
The victory made Al Ahli the third Saudi club to win the game with various squads, joining the city rivals, two-time winner Al Ittihad and Riyadh’s four-time champion Al Hilal.
“We are very proud,” Al Ahli goalkeeper Édouard Mendy said. “Once we knew that the last eight games would be playing in Jeddah, that was our goal to be the champion in front of our fans. Since I came here 18 months ago, they provided a lot of support for us.
“As I said when signing here, make history, keep winning trophies and make the club as big as before.”
Al Ahli reached the final before his fans, a lineup that included a range of expensive foreign talent, including UEFA Champions League champions Riyad Mahrez and Captain Roberto Firmino.
Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
Within six minutes of the opening ceremony, Louis Yamaguchi denied home court, Kawasaki goalkeeper blocked Ivan Toney's vicious right-foot effort before taking a sharp-headed obstacle on Ziyad al-Johani's final corner.
The Japanese costume almost silenced the crowd in the 11th minute, and from Marcinho's personal skill moment, Brazil surpassed Ali Majrashi's gliding, but hit the goal firmly, only shooting across the area and crossing the distant post.
Toney drove leniency, and Roger Ibañez just showed up in the curly hair efforts on the edge of the region as Al Ahli added pressure, but the disciplined Kawasaki held on to a firm stand.
However, when Kawasaki brought the property closer to his goal, the opener ended up with 10 minutes left in the first half.
Firmino feeds Galeno in space 25 meters, and after midfielder does so, Kawahara tries to shut down the Brazilian in vain and futile attempts to shut down the Brazilian, the former Porto man bent down and strikes right and right into the top corner.
Al Ahli soon doubled their lead, the Saudi side used the opponent's temporary drop to 10 men, and left-back Sota Miura was injured.
Firmino was involved again, and suddenly broke out on the right side of the area, clamping the cross into a six-yard box, and quickly arrived Ivorian Kessie rose home.
As Kawasaki sought to get back to the game, Sai van Wermeskerken nodded generously and replaced Kawasaki's hero, Tatsuya Ito, who beat Al Nassr in the semifinals, who was only 15 minutes away from Al Nassr's match.
Ito strikes again on Mendy's goal, and Ibanez denied a late chance at Shin Yamada as Al Ahli celebrated their third victory in the finals after finishing second in 1986 and 2012.