Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia retained the AFC Champions League Elite title with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Japan’s Machida Zelvia on Saturday.
The final, played in front of a largely pro–Al Ahli crowd of 60,000 in Jeddah, was decided by an extra-time goal from Saudi striker Firas Al-Burikan.
Al Ahli were forced to play with 10 men for nearly an hour but managed to hold off Machida, who failed to capitalize on the numerical advantage.
“It’s amazing,” said winger Riyad Mahrez, who previously won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester City in 2023. “It was difficult for us again. We like to make it difficult for ourselves. Ten against 11 is nearly impossible—I don’t know how we found the strength and energy. After the red card, we stuck together, fought harder, and kept going until we scored.”
Chances were limited in the first half, though Al Ahli came close when Brazilian winger Galeno broke through the defense, only to be denied by Machida goalkeeper Kosei Tani. Just before halftime, Merih Demiral saw a close-range effort cleared off the line.
The match turned midway through the second half when Zakaria Hawsawi was sent off for headbutting Tete Yangi, leaving Al Ahli down a man. Machida increased the pressure, forcing goalkeeper Édouard Mendy into multiple saves, but could not find a breakthrough. Tensions boiled over late, with Al Ahli substitute Mohammed Abdulrahman also receiving a red card from the sidelines.
The decisive moment came in the sixth minute of extra time when Franck Kessié set up Al-Burikan, who fired home from close range.
With the win, Al Ahli became the first club to successfully defend the Asian title since city rivals Al Ittihad in 2005.
“We’re very happy to have reached the final,” said Machida coach Go Kuroda. “Al Ahli has great experience in this competition. We conceded at a difficult moment and couldn’t recover.”
The final mirrored broader challenges throughout the tournament. All matches from the quarterfinals onward were held in Jeddah, and attendance was sparse for some games, including just 395 spectators at Machida’s semifinal win over Shabab Al-Ahli.
Scheduling was also affected by regional instability, with round-of-16 matches in West Asia postponed from March to April and reduced to single-leg ties. There had also been uncertainty about whether East Asian teams would travel to Saudi Arabia, but Machida—still seeking its first J1 League title—managed a historic run to the final.
