Al‑Ahli 1-0 Machida Zelvia Highlights, AFC Champions League: 10-Man Saudi Giants Defend Continental Title

Good evening, football fans! This is the start of our live blog covering the AFC Champions League Elite final between Al-Ahli and Machida Zelvia in Jeddah. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and line-ups as they are released.

• Fixture: Al-Ahli Saudi vs Machida Zelvia

• Series: AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26

• Venue: Alimna Bank Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah

• Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026

• Time: 9:45 PM IST

Machida Zelvia will enter the final as huge underdogs, but the Japanese club have enjoyed a unique journey so far. Only two decades ago, they were down in the seventh tier of Japanese football. Go Kuroda, their head coach, is a former high school trainer. Now, they are in the final in their debut campaign in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Starting XI: Edouard Mendy (c); Rayan Hamed, Merih Demiral, Roger Ibanez, XZakaria Hawsawi; Valentin Atangana Edoa, Franck Kessie; Riyad Mahrez, Enzo Millot, Wenderson Galeno; Ivan Toney.

Bench: Abdulrahman Al Sanbi (gk), Abdullah Abdo (gk), Mohammed Abdulrahman, Matteo Dams, Yazan Madani, Mohammed Sulaiman, Matheus Goncalves, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Ziyad Aljohani, Eid Al Muwallad, Firas Al-Buraikan, Ricardo Mathias.

Starting XI: Kosei Tani; Gen Shoji (c), Daihachi Okamura, Yuta Nakayama; Hotaka Nakaumra, Neta Lavi, Hiroyuki Mae, Kotaro Hayashi; Erik, Tete Yengi, Yuki Soma.

Bench: Tatsuya Morita (gk), Yoshiaki Arai (gk), Ibrahim Dresevic, Keiya Sento, Hokuto Shimoda, Henry Heroki Mochizuki, Asahi Masuyama, Ryohei Shirasaki, Shota Fuijo, Futa Tokamura, Kanji Kuwayama, Sang-Ho Na.

As we await kick-off, a bit of bad news for the Indian football fans. Despite the Asian Football Confederation increasing the spots in the AFC Champions League Elite, Indian Super League (ISL) clubs will be forced to play only in the Champions League 2, which is the second tier continental tournament.

It's an incredible atmosphere in Jeddah, with the Japanese fans trying their best to drown out the home crowd. Smoke from the stands hangs heavy in the air as Al-Ahli take the kick-off to get tonight's AFC Champions League Elite final underway!

Al-Ahli have come out with a shoot on sight policy to break the resolute Machida defence. A corner from the right is played to Galeno outside the box, and the Brazilian connects with the ball well. However, his shot goes wide.

First effort on target, and it comes from Machida Zelvia. A good first-time cross from the right is met by Nakamura, who did well to leap over his marker. However, it's gathered by Mendy.

A bright start from Al-Ahli. Galeno finds acres of space to run with the ball before pulling the trigger from inside the box. However, Tani makes a good stop, and the rebound is taken away from Toney by Okamura.

Credit to Machida, who have not retreated after the fiery start made by Al-Ahli. In fact, the J1 League side are pushing the Saudi side back in their own half with some searing through balls. The physical nature of the game has taken its toll on the Al-Ahli players, and Hawsawi goes down in pain holding what looks like his fingers.

The referee is allowing quite a bit of challenges go unpunished, and the players are falling down like flies. Hawsawi shows his strength to win posession and tee up Galeno, and he plays it back to Millot. His thunderous shot is blocked by Shoji.

How has the ball stayed out from the Machida goal?! A good ball by Galeno is met by Edoa, and it rolls off the goalkeeper. The rebound hits Nakayama and is cleared off the line. There's a VAR review for a possible handball, but it's cleared.

After just a solitary minute of added time, the referee blows his whistle to bring the first half to an end. We are yet to see the opening goal in the AFC Champions League Elite final, courtesy of some goal-line heroics by Machida at the end. A big second half awaits.

The players are out of the tunnels and onto the pitch in Jeddah. We ended the first half with a nil-nil scoreline, so both teams have everything to play for in the second half. Machida get the second half underway. No changes at the break from either side.

For all of Al-Ahli's attacking prowess, the Machida players look assured in defence and have more or less neutralised the threat of Galeno, Toney, and Mahrez – something easier said than done for a club considered huge underdogs tonight.

As we go past the hour mark, Kuroda refreshes his attacking line-up, with Na Sang-Ho coming on in place of Erik. Al-Ahli also make a change, with Firas Al-Buraikan replacing Millot.

Edoa goes down in the box after a challenge on his back by a Machida defender. The Al-Ahli player stays down, and there's a VAR check for a possible penalty. But replays show that there was nothing to it, and it's cleared, much to the displeasure of Jaissle.

What on earth was that from Hawsawi?! The young fullback, who was so good up until now, gets into a chest bump with Yengi, and Hawsawi headbutts him straight into the nose. The referee has no choice but to show him a straight card.

The Al-Ahli fans on the stand respond by throwing a flurry of water bottles on the pitch, and both sets of players request them to stop that.

It's all getting a bit chaotic here. As a Machida player gets up to take a corner, the Al-Ahli fans continue to throw bottles at him, and the Japanese side complain to the referee.

The corner is eventually played, but Nakayama and Soma collide with each other head on. It looks really bad from here, and the stretcher is on the pitch. Both players get up on their feet for the moment and looks like they will continue.

Mendy, meanwhile, drags something thrown by the fans near his goal off the pitch.

Moments after Yengi brings out a save from Mendy, Al-Ahli break forward. Galeno plays a good ball towards the far corner. It reaches Toney, but he can't get any contact.

The regulation 90 minutes are up, and the deadlock is intact despite all the chaos and drama. The fourth official holds up his board to indicate a minimum of five minutes to be added on, before we go into extra time.

The chaotic nature of the match continues, as Mohammed Abdulrahman, on the Al-Ahli bench, is sent off for his complaints. The five minutes of stoppage time are over, and it remains a deadlock. On to extra time we go, and if needed, penalties!

Al-Ahli start the first half of the extra time with intent. Franck Kessie's left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez following a fast break.

Al-Ahli's early intent in the second half pays off. Franck Kessie was already looking dangerous and this time, he finds a way to put the ball in the feet of Al-Buraikan. His left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box finds the centre of the goal. Ten-men Al-Ahli take lead in the extra time. They will look to put the shutter down and close out the match.

Al-Ahli successfully retain their lead after five minutes in the second half of the extra time. They are ten minutes away from the title and need to hold off Machida Zelvia for a little more. Being down to ten men, it is not going to be easy for them specially after a grueling match which went to extra time.

It is not Machida Zelvia but a ten men Al-Ahli who create another chance. With the entire Zelvia side pushing for goal, Ahli get chance to break and they almost score. Wenderson Galeno's right footed shot from the centre of the box goes too high. Assisted by Ivan Toney following a counter. Four minutes remaining in clock.

Al-Ahli have officially cemented their status as the king of Asian football by winning the AFC Champions League Elite title. By defeating Machida Zelvia 1-0 in the final, the Jeddah-based club achieved a historic back-to-back continental double.

Al-Ahli capitalized on home-field advantage to secure their second consecutive title. In a tightly contested match against the Japanese debutants, Al-Ahli's disciplined defense and clinical execution ensured they became the first team since Al-Ittihad (2004–2005) to successfully defend the Asian crown.