RIYADH: It was a night to remember for Al-Ahli fans. The Greens have progressed to their second consecutive AFC Champions League Elite final after beating Japan’s Vissel Kobe 2-1.
It was no ordinary victory, however. Rather, it epitomized the spirit Al-Ahli have shown since Matthias Jaissle’s appointment in the summer of 2023.
The match had always looked a compelling one on paper but a debate that started before the game, with Japanese journalists questioning whether the centralized format was fair to their clubs, added spice to the contest.
The same day, sources told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the Professional Football Committee at the Asian Football Confederation was expected to adopt a new slot allocation for clubs across the Elite competition. Both Saudi Arabia and Japan are set to see their quotas increase to five clubs each — the most in the competition.
But as fans argued on social media, for coaches Jaissle and Michael Skibbe bureaucratic decisions were the last thing on their minds. Their focus was solely on the coveted final spot: a chance for back-to-back glory for Al-Ahli or the opportunity for a maiden title for Vissel Kobe.
لمسته في كل هدف #الأهلي_فيسيل_كوبي | #دوري_أبطال_آسيا_للنخبة | #LetsGoWithAlAhli pic.twitter.com/7V8oKPtKQV
— النادي الأهلي السعودي (@ALAHLI_FC) April 20, 2026
Despite the Greens’ home advantage, the Japanese side managed to thwart Al-Ahli’s most dangerous players and prevent them from breaking into the penalty area. An aggressive 4-2-4 defensive setup meant Al-Ahli often resorted to long diagonals toward Riyad Mahrez or inverted runs from left back Zakaria Hawsawi.
It was not until the 27th minute that Al-Ahli created their first clear chance of the game, a long shot from Franck Kessie that was saved, followed by a Mahrez effort on the rebound. Daiya Maekawa produced two vital stops, allowing Vissel Kobe to regain control.
Moments later, Yoshinori Muto made a perfectly timed run behind the Al-Ahli defense from a free kick to head the ball down to the unmarked Yuya Osako. The forward made no mistake and slotted home past Edouard Mendy to put the Japanese champions in front.
Suddenly the tone of Al-Ahli’s performance shifted. They began to press forward with greater urgency but, initially, with no luck.
Just after the break Ivan Toney failed to connect with a header from Ibanez toward the far post. Moments later the Englishman thought he had equalized after receiving a long ball from Mahrez and finishing past Maekawa, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside.
After seeing another chance saved by Maekawa in the 62nd minute, Al-Ahli looked short of ideas until Galeno did what he does best. Reminiscent of his long-range strike to win the game against Johor Darul Ta’zim at the weekend, the Brazilian winger unleashed a thunderous effort from range to level the score.
There was no turning back after that. After an underwhelming first hour, a decisive spell of influence from Galeno proved enough to tilt the match in Al-Ahli’s favor.
In the 70th minute Galeno’s cross from the left flank was parried away by Maekawa but Toney reacted quickest, firing the ball into a narrow but open angle in the Vissel net.
Mahrez thought he had added a third minutes later, only for the referee to rule the goal out for offside. That would have given Al-Ahli a comfortable cushion in the final 15 minutes but the defending champions showed why they have reached the final once again, fending off the threat of Vissel Kobe to emerge victorious.
Al-Ahli now await the winner of the second semifinal between Japan’s Machida Zelvia and the UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli. That match takes place on Tuesday, with the final to be played at Al-Inma Stadium on Saturday.
