Al-Ahli Wins Back-to-Back Asian Champions League Elite Titles

Apr 26, 2026, 10:16

Introduction

The Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli defeated Japan's Machida Zelvia on Saturday, becoming the first team in more than twenty years to win consecutive Asian Champions League Elite championships.

Main Body

The match took place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah in front of 58,984 fans, ending in a 1-0 victory for Al-Ahli. The winning goal was scored by Feras Al-Brikan in the 96th minute, following a cross from Riyad Mahrez and an assist by Franck Kessie. This achievement repeats the success seen by Al-Ittihad in 2004 and 2005. However, the team faced a significant challenge in the second half when defender Zakaria Hawsawi was sent off in the 68th minute. Referee Ilgiz Tantashev gave him a straight red card after he headbutted Tete Yengi. As a result, Al-Ahli had to play with fewer players while trying to break through a strong Machida Zelvia defense, which had only conceded seven goals in twelve matches and kept four clean sheets during the knockout stage. Coach Matthias Jaissle, the first manager to win two titles in a row since the competition began in 2002, emphasized that the players' determination and the advantage of playing at home were key to the win. He claimed that the energy from the local supporters helped the team overcome the loss of a player. Furthermore, analysts noted that the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) decision to host the finals in Jeddah gave Al-Ahli a clear advantage, as the match remained a draw until extra time despite increased pressure from Machida Zelvia.

Conclusion

Al-Ahli has successfully kept the title, and Coach Jaissle is now focusing on the club's remaining league matches.

Vocabulary Learning

concede (v.)
to allow a goal or point to be scored against you（比賽中）失球；被對手得分
Example:The goalkeeper was disappointed to concede a goal in the final minutes of the match.
consecutive (adj.)
following each other continuously / back-to-back連續的；接連的
Example:The team has won five consecutive matches this season.
determination (n.)
the quality of trying to do something even if it is difficult決心；毅力
Example:Her determination to succeed helped her overcome many obstacles.
emphasize (v.)
to give special importance to something強調；著重
Example:The coach wanted to emphasize the importance of teamwork during the training session.
significant (adj.)
important or noticeable顯著的；重要的
Example:There has been a significant increase in the number of fans attending the games.

Sentence Learning

The Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli defeated Japan's Machida Zelvia on Saturday, becoming the first team in more than twenty years to win consecutive Asian Champions League Elite championships.
Present Participle Phrase: The phrase beginning with 'becoming' acts as a resultative participle, showing the immediate consequence of the main action.現在分詞短語: 以「becoming」開頭的短語作為結果分詞，展示了主句動作所帶來的直接後果。
The winning goal was scored by Feras Al-Brikan in the 96th minute, following a cross from Riyad Mahrez and an assist by Franck Kessie.
Passive Voice: This structure focuses on the action (the goal) rather than the subject to maintain a formal reporting tone.被動語態: 此結構將焦點放在動作（進球）而非主體上，以維持正式的報導語氣。
As a result, Al-Ahli had to play with fewer players while trying to break through a strong Machida Zelvia defense, which had only conceded seven goals in twelve matches and kept four clean sheets during the knockout stage.
Non-defining Relative Clause: The clause starting with 'which' provides extra background information about the defense without being essential to the sentence's core meaning.非限定關係子句: 以「which」引導的子句為該防線提供了額外的背景資訊，但並非句子的核心意義所必需。
Coach Matthias Jaissle, the first manager to win two titles in a row since the competition began in 2002, emphasized that the players' determination and the advantage of playing at home were key to the win.
Noun Clause: The 'that' clause functions as the object of the verb 'emphasized,' reporting the coach's specific statement or belief.名詞子句: 「that」子句作為動詞「emphasized」的受詞，用於轉述教練的具體陳述或信念。
Furthermore, analysts noted that the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) decision to host the finals in Jeddah gave Al-Ahli a clear advantage, as the match remained a draw until extra time despite increased pressure from Machida Zelvia.
Linking Word - Contrast: 'Despite' is used to show contrast, followed by a noun phrase to indicate an unexpected outcome given the circumstances.連接詞 - 對比: 「despite」用於表示對比，後接名詞短語，以指出在特定情況下出現的意外結果。