Al-Ain Overturns First-leg Loss To Win Asian Champions League Final In UAE
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates: Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates clinched victory in the Asian Champions League final on Saturday, staging a remarkable comeback from a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos two weeks ago to secure a 6-3 aggregate win.
The Hazza bin Zayed Stadium was packed with over 20,000 home fans who cheered on Al-Ain as they secured a convincing 5-1 victory in the second leg. This victory marked Al-Ain’s second Asian Champions League title, adding to their previous triumph in 2003.
The home side, led by former AC Milan, Inter, and Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo, outplayed the Japanese club, which was managed by former Liverpool and Leeds winger Harry Kewell.
Al-Ain took control of the game early on, with tournament top scorer Soufiane Rahimi finding the back of the net for the 12th time just eight minutes into the match. Argentine forward Kaku then converted a penalty to give Al-Ain the lead after half an hour.
Yokohama managed to equalize five minutes before halftime, with Yan Matheus leveling the aggregate score at 3-3.
However, just before the break, Yokohama suffered a setback as goalkeeper William Popp was shown a red card for a foul on Rahimi outside the penalty area, reducing them to 10 men.
In the second half, Al-Ain continued to dominate, with Moroccan forward Rahimi scoring his 13th goal of the tournament to put his team back in the lead. Two late goals from Togolese forward Kodjo Laba sealed the victory for Al-Ain, leaving Yokohama with little chance of a comeback.
With this win, Al-Ain also secured a spot in the 2025 Club World Cup, which has been expanded to include 32 teams.
The victory was a sweet redemption for Al-Ain, who had suffered defeat in the final in 2005 and 2016. The team’s resilience and determination were on full display as they overturned the first-leg loss to emerge as champions.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)
By Sports Desk
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Published on: May 26, 2024, 01:00 IST
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