Kawasaki Frontale suffer defeat against Al Ahli, losing Asian Champions League title.
Down and Dirty: Al Ahli's Heroic Double Win
Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports City Stadium erupted in a storm of cheers as Al Ahli, runners-up in 1986 and 2012, reigned supreme in the 2025 AFC Champions League Elite final. The game-changing magic happened in a seven-minute rush before half-time, thanks to goals from Brazilian Galeno and Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie.
The reverberations of the Asian Champions League's latter stages had been resonating in Jeddah for quite some time. With this monumental win, Roberto Firmino, Édouard Mendy, and Riyad Mahrez etched their names in history books as the first players ever to capture both Asian club football's premier title and its European equivalent.
The trio had tasted victory in the Champions League with Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City, respectively. Tasting another victorious toast with Al Ahli, majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, earned them a $10 million prize for clinching the title[1].
Matthias Jaissle's side proved unstoppable, striding through all 13 matches of the campaign undefeated. Frontale, on the other hand, were contenders for the first time, never having ventured beyond the last eight.
Al Ahli owned the early momentum, as summer signing Ivan Toney tested Louis Yamaguchi's reflexes on five minutes. Though the Frontale goalkeeper denied Ziyad Al Hosani's close-range effort from the subsequent corner, Frontale's Brazilian forward Marcinho nearly found the mark later in the half, sending a screamer inches past Edouard Mendy's far post[1][2][3].
Al Ahli seemed the more threatening despite missed opportunities by Toney, Roger Ibanez, and Firmino. However, on 35 minutes, Firmino rolled the ball to winger Galeno, who curled a breathtaking effort from 25 yards into the top corner.
Galeno, a winter signing from Porto for a reported 50 million euros ($56 million), had snatched Firmino's spot in Al Ahli's Saudi Pro League squad, leaving the former Liverpool forward sidelined for the domestic season[1].
Three minutes before half-time, Firmino sent a cross into the Frontale six-yard box for Kessie to power a header into the back of the net, doubling Al Ahli's advantage. The assist catapulted Firmino, the club captain, to seven in the Champions League, placing him one behind Mahrez at the top of the tournament's assist charts.
Frontale, who had defeated Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the semi-final, failed to register a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes[1].
In the second half, Firmino and Mahrez both fired wide, while Frontale substitute Tatsuya Ito missed by mere inches. The final whistle signaled Al Ahli's triumphant claim as only the third Saudi club to win the Champions League, following record four-time winners Al Hilal and two-time champions Al Ittihad.
© 2025 AFP
[1] Al Ahli finish unbeaten run to win Asian Champions League, AFP[2] Roberto Firmino, Surely One Of The Best Players In The World Right Now, Stats Perform[3] Édouard Mendy in line for bright future with coach hailing 'amazing goalkeeper', Goal.com[4] Riyad Mahrez: On the verge of leading Al Ahli to AFC Champions League title, Goal.com
In the significant year of 1986, Al Ahli faced an untested journey in the Champions League stages, unlike their triumphant 2025 AFC Champions League Elite final win in Jeddah, where they were runners-up earlier.
The 2025 victory's reverberations were reminiscent of the earlier Champions League stages, as this time Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie joined forces with Brazilian Galeno to score game-changing goals.
The historic win in 2025 marked a unique achievement for Roberto Firmino, Édouard Mendy, and Riyad Mahrez, as they became the first players to win the Asian club football's premier title and its European equivalent.
In the 1986 Champions League stages, Al Ahli faced numerous tough opponents, a stark contrast to their 2025 rivals Frontale, who were first-time contenders and never advanced beyond the last eight.
