AFC Champions League 2023/24

Watanabe pounced from close range after teammate Asahi Uenaka had earlier cancelled out Mohammed Abbas’ 12th minute opener at Yokohama International Stadium as the Japanese club chase their first-ever AFC Champions League title in their clash with the 2002-03 title winners.

The teams will meet again at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on May 25 with the winners taking Asia’s fourth and final berth at the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the United States next year.

The game sees Al Ain return to the final for the fourth time and first since 2016, while their hosts from the J1 League are making their first appearance in the showpiece event.

As the teams get set to face off for the right to be crowned kings of Asia, the-AFC.com has selected five things to look out for.

Yokohama are bidding to win the title for the first time while Al Ain are seeking to add a second championship, having won the inaugural edition in 2003 with a new AFC club competition structure to be introduced from the 2024/25 season.

Head coach Hernan Crespo can count on a perfect mix of youth, experience and players at the peak of their careers to bring home the trophy for the second time after 2002-03, even as Al Ain travel to Japan without star striker Kodjo Laba. The-AFC.com profiles key players for the Emirati giants.

Over the years, some legendary figures have etched their names into Marinos folklore – among them Shunsuke Nakamura, Yuji Nakazawa, Yoo Sang-chul and Ramon Diaz – and the current crop of players will look to write their own piece of history by achieving AFC Champions League glory.

After seeing off two-time champions Ulsan Hyundai on penalties in the semi-final, Harry Kewell’s men are now just two matches away from lifting the coveted trophy. The-AFC.com has picked out three players who could be key in the grand finale.

Ahead of the first leg of the Emirati giants’ encounter with Yokohama F. Marinos, the-AFC.com reviews Al Ain’s journey to the 2023/24 final, which saw them eliminate some of the biggest teams in Asia to reach this stage.

Harry Kewell’s Marinos defeated Ulsan Hyundai FC on penalties in last month's semi-final and they will now look to clear the final hurdle and lift their maiden title in what is their sixth appearance in Asia’s premier club competition.

With the first leg to be played at Yokohama International Stadium on Saturday, the-AFC.com takes a look back at the J1 League side's memorable journey to the showpiece event.

The former Liverpool and Australia winger has vast experience from his playing days to draw on as he primes his squad for the continental final, but even for someone with Kewell’s background the upcoming two-legged decider represents a new frontier.

Among West Asian clubs, only two (Al Hilal and Al Sadd) have played in the AFC Champions League more than Al Ain, and only Al Hilal have contested the knockout stages of the competition more times than the Emirati powerhouse. Ahead of the first leg of the final, the-AFC.com revisits Al Ain’s journey in the continental competition over the past two decades.