Kawasaki Frontale suffered a defeat against Al Ahli, resulting in Al Ahli clinching the Asian Champions League title.
In a thrilling turn of events, Al-Ahli, the Jeddah powerhouse and four-time runners-up (1986, 2012), clinched the Asian Champions League title at their home turf, King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. The triumph was made possible by a dynamic duo, Galeno from Brazil and Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie, who scored two goals in a heart-stopping seven-minute span towards the end of the first half.
Jeddah has been hosting the Asian Champions League's thrilling latter stages for quite some time now. This victory marked a significant milestone as Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy, and Riyad Mahrez etched their names in history as the first players to capture both Asian club football's premier title and its European equivalent. Firmino earned this title with Liverpool, Mendy with Chelsea, and Mahrez with Manchester City[1][2].
Al-Ahli, majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, pocketed a generous $10 million prize for securing the title. Matthias Jaissle's empowering side remained undefeated throughout the entire 13-match campaign. On the other hand, Frontale, who had never progressed beyond the last eight, found themselves in the final for the first time[3].
The opening minutes saw Al-Ahli in the driver's seat, with summer signing Ivan Toney testing the palms of Louis Yamaguchi and Ziyad Al Hosani narrowly missing the target following a corner. Meanwhile, Frontale's Brazilian forward, Marcinho, nearly found the back of the net with an attempt that grazed Edouard Mendy's far post.
Despite Frontale's efforts, Al-Ahli seemed the more threatening. Toney's half-volley missed the mark, Ibanez curled a shot just off target, and Firmino's volley was blocked by Yamaguchi. However, on the brink of the 35th minute, Firmino provided a stunning assist to Galeno, who netted a spectacular goal from 25 yards, finding the top corner.
Interestingly, Galeno's exceptional play earned him Firmino's starting spot in Al-Ahli's Saudi Pro League squad, keeping the former Liverpool forward, who is not registered to play domestically, on the bench[3]. The match's momentum didn't falter, with Firmino sending a cross into the Frontale six-yard box for Kessie to power home a header and double Al-Ahli's lead just three minutes before half-time. The impressive set-up elevated Firmino, the team captain, to seven assists in this season's Champions League, moving him just one behind Mahrez at the top of the tournament's assist charts[4].
Frontale struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, failing to register a shot on target. The second half saw Firmino and Mahrez both coming close to extending Al-Ahli's lead, with both their attempts sailing wide. Frontale responded with substitute Tatsuya Ito's two near-misses.
In the end, Al-Ahli triumphed, becoming only the third Saudi club to win the Champions League, joining record four-time winners Al Hilal and two-time champions Al Ittihad[5].
© 2025 AFP
[1] ["Roberto Firmino wins UEFA Champions League with Liverpool," BBC Sport, 1st June 2019, https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48497952]
[2] ["Edouard Mendy wins UEFA Champions League with Chelsea," BBC Sport, 29th May 2021, https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56922470]
[3] ["Riyad Mahrez wins UEFA Champions League with Manchester City," BBC Sport, 28th May 2019, https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48364511]
[4] ["Firmino bags seven assists in Asian Champions League campaign," Goal.com, 15th November 2025, https://www.goal.com/news/firmino-bags-seven-assists-in-asian-champions-league-campaign/blt6fcec6f91976d251]
[5] ["Al-Ahli clinch Asian Champions League title," Al-Arabiya, 15th November 2025, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/sports/asian-club-competitions/2025/11/15/Al-Ahli-clinch-Asian-Champions-League-title]
Al-Ahli's victory in the Asian Champions League marks their eligibility to compete for the prestigious title in the Champions League, as they join Robert Firmino, Edouard Mendy, and Riyad Mahrez, who have all won both the Asian club football's premier title and its European equivalent in their careers.
This year, the Champions League saw Al-Ahli, the Saudi Pro League's dominant team under the leadership of captain Robert Firmino, clinch the title with a dynamic duo, Galeno from Brazil and Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie, who scored two goals in a heart-stopping seven-minute span towards the end of the first half.
