As Al Ahli secured its long-sought-after breakthrough AFC Champions League Elite title, stars Roberto Firmino, Édouard Mendy and Riyad Mahrez also secured their own little slice of history — becoming the first to secure continental glory on both an European and Asian level.
Placed in the ascendency by first-half goals from Galeno and Franck Kessié, Al Ahli eased to a 2-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale in Saturday’s decider at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium — becoming the 25th club in the competition’s 43-year history to be crowned kings of Asia and the third Saudi Arabian outfit to achieve the feat.
In doing so, the big-spending Saudi Pro League side, who were in the second-tier as recently as 2023 before becoming one of the four clubs in the stable of the nation’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, also vanquished the demons of its two previous trips to this stage; losing 3-1 to Daewoo Royals (now Busan IPark) in 1986 and falling 3-0 to Ulsan Hyundai (now Ulsan HD) in 2012.
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Mendy, who won a UEFA Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 before moving to Al Ahli during the SPL’s 2023 spending splurge, was named the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper while Firmino, who was part of Liverpool’s 2019 side that won a European title and also headed to the Middle East in the same year as his teammate, was named its Most Valuable Player.
“This is a special trophy for me,” said the Brazilian. “I want to be a legend here just like I was in Europe. The most important thing is that we kept our focus and played with heart.”
“This title was very special, because they’d never won it. We knew this, and that motivated us so much to become legends here.”
Another 2023 arrival, Mahrez joined Al Ahli on a reported £30 million deal from Manchester City as part of the state-sponsored wave of players moving to the country that included not only Firmino and Mendy but also the likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté.
A 2023 UCL champion with City, the Algerian won ten domestic trophies during his time with Pep Guardiola’s side, including four Premier League titles, in addition to the incredible 2016 title with Leicester.
Saturday, however, marked his first piece of silverware since moving to the Gulf — Al Ahli finishing third in the SPL and knocked out of the King’s Cup by soon-to-be-relegated Abha in 2023-24.
“There are the titles with Leicester, Algeria, with City; I think all have a different taste, all have a different emotion,” he said. “I cannot compare or say I prefer one or the other. I think this [ACLE] is as good as all the titles I’ve had.
“It’s a different competition on a different continent — for me, it’s new. Last year, when I came here, I didn’t win anything and I was very upset. This year, I really wanted to make a stamp and win something with this club, because this club deserves this — the players, the manager and the people behind us.
“We’re so happy, and we have to enjoy it now.”
Al Ahli completed an undefeated campaign with Saturday’s triumph and finished as the competition’s second-highest scorers behind only perennial ACLE contenders Al Hilal.
“We are the best team in Asia,” observed Mahrez. “We have the best players — when we win, we have to say it.
“We played against big teams, small teams and teams away [from home, and] always won. Now, to have the opportunity to win the Champions League at home, with all our fans, it’s the best feeling.”
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