AFC Champions League
Having eliminated four-time Asian champions Al Hilal SFC, inaugural winners Al Ain will be aiming to lift the trophy for the second time while Yokohama, who ousted Ulsan Hyundai FC on penalties, are set to appear in the showpiece event for the first time.
Following a pair of semi-final second legs that will live long in the memory, the-AFC.com looks back at what those involved had to say.
Harry Kewell was full of praise for the foundations built by his Yokohama F. Marinos predecessors Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat. His fellow Australians achieved J1 League glory with Marinos while Kewell has become the first person to guide the team into the AFC Champions League final.
Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, who appeared in the 2016 final when the Emiratis lost to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, insists he is back to his best this year. And with his second final just around the corner, the 34-year-old couldn’t have timed it any better.
"It is disappointing but we have to move on as we still have titles to compete for. The first is the league title and then the King's Cup. We have lost only once in 45 matches and we should not forget this. I told the players in the dressing room to keep their heads high as they were the better side but were not lucky."
Al Hilal head coach Jorge Jesus could not hide his disappointment but noted that the season is not over, with more silverware still to play for. The Portuguese tactician is now targeting a league-cup double in the weeks ahead.
#ACL - West Zone (2nd Leg) | Al Hilal SFC (KSA) 2 - 1 Al Ain FC (UAE)
“I'm happy that I scored the goal, but the other players worked really hard for 120 minutes plus penalty kicks to win the match, so I'd like to thank them for that.
“The coach always tells me to play well, and yesterday he told me to score a hat-trick. Although I wasn't able to do that, I'm glad I was able to score goals and contribute to the team.
“I am truly grateful to all the supporters who have continued to cheer and support me even in such bad weather. We want to win the title, so let's all work together and do our best.”
Two-goal hero Asahi Uenaka may have failed to deliver the hat-trick head coach Kewell asked him for, but there’s little doubt the Australian tactician would have been delighted with the 22-year-old’s performance after he netted the first and third goals in the 3-2 victory.
"I thank everyone in Al Ain club, and I am happy to be the coach of this great team. We respect ourselves and respect our opponents, who are the leading club in Saudi Arabia and in this tournament. I am very proud of my players for performing their best in a packed away stadium.”
Al Ain head coach Hernan Crespo spoke of his pride after his side eliminated many people’s tournament favourites, Al Hilal. It was a sweet moment for the Argentine, who suffered a 7-0 semi-final defeat against Al Hilal in the 2022 semi-finals when in charge of Qatar’s Al Duhail SC.
“See you again next year, be ready cause we’ll come back stronger. Focus on the rest of the season.”
Having impressed in his debut AFC Champions League campaign, Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s tournament ended in heartbreak. But he vowed that Al Hilal will be back to fight for the title next season.
“Everyone who came to the stadium taught me what a Marinos family is. It has been a day I will never forget. It just reaffirmed how great it is to be able to fight for this club's badge. I will continue to work on with responsibility and determination. And one more to go … continued support is greatly appreciated!!”
Penalty shootout hero William Popp, who made a number of fine saves over the two legs against Ulsan, spoke of the togetherness between the team and its supporters and his pride at representing Yokohama F. Marinos.
“To the final. Warm thanks to the warriors and congratulations to all the fans… Well deserved!”
The tournament’s top scorer Soufiane Rahimi’s four-game scoring run may have come to an end in the second leg against Al Hilal, but the Moroccan now has two more games to add to his tally when Al Ain take on Yokohama in the final on May 11 and 25.
Related News
Item 1 of 5