Football, News July 19, 2024

Impressive Al Ain Win Second AFC Champions League Title

Impressive Al Ain Win Second AFC Champions League Title
Al Ain FC claimed a historic second AFC Champions League (2023-24) title in a thrilling comeback victory over Yokohama F. Marinos! The final, played on May 25th, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, saw Al Ain overturn a first-leg deficit to win 5-1 in the second leg and 6-3 on aggregate.

Expat Sport would like to offer its congratulations to the management, players and support staff of Al Ain FC on what is a phenomenal achievement. Also, a performance which secured them the last remaining Asian spot at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

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Dominant Second Leg Ensures Victory

The atmosphere at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium crackled with anticipation as Al Ain looked to erase a 2-1 first-leg defeat. The home side came out of the blocks brimming with desire and intent, energised by a roaring home crowd. ‘Al Zayeem’ meant business, and soon overturned the deficit ahead on aggregate after just 34 minutes.

Soufiane Rahimi opened the scoring with a sublime effort in the 8th minute. A crisp Kaku penalty shortly after put Al Ain ahead on aggregate. The 5-times champions of Japan’s prestigious J-League were simply stunned by the onslaught.

Just as the visitors possibly thought it couldn’t get any worse for them, a further drama ensued. Yokohama F. Marinos’ goalkeeper William Popp attempted to beat the sprinting Rahimi to a through ball and failed, taking the Al Ain forward down just outside the box in the process. The red card duly appeared, and Popp was sent off on the stroke of half-time. Hernan Crespo’s side returned to the dressing room with the momentum shifted even further in Al Ain’s favour to an undoubted ‘more of the same’ team talk.

The second half saw Rahimi, with a seemingly inexhaustible tank of pace, continue to torment the Japanese defence, adding another goal in the 67th minute. His 13th goal of what had been a majestic tournament for the Moroccan flyer. The tireless Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba then sealed the win with a brace in stoppage time, sending the Abu Dhabi faithful into raptures. An extremely good day at the office for Al Ain.

Key Moments of the Match:

Rahimi’s early goal and assist in the first half set the tone for Al Ain’s comeback.
The red card for Yokohama’s goalkeeper proved to be a crucial turning point.
Laba’s late goals extinguished any remaining hope for a Yokohama comeback.

Player Spotlight: Soufiane Rahimi

Rahimi was a constant threat throughout the tournament, finishing as the top scorer with 13 goals. His performance in the final, with a goal and an assist, cemented his status as a hero for Al Ain.

Looking Ahead

The Al Ain team now sets its sights on the world stage at the FIFA Club World Cup to be played in the United States from June 15th to July 13th, 2025. Expat Sport congratulates the entire Al Ain organisation and wishes them the very best of luck in their upcoming challenge.

This season of the AFC Champions League was the first edition of the competition since the 2002–03 season, to operate on an inter-year schedule from September (autumn-to-spring), rather than an intra-year schedule (spring-to-autumn). The tournament is to be rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite in the 2024–25 season.

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