Al-Ain, Yokohama Marinos battle for AFC Champions League supremacy

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DUBAI, May 23: The AFC Champions League final between Al Ain and Japan’s Yokohama Marinos tomorrow, Saturday, marks Al Ain’s fourth appearance in a continental final, while it will be the first time Yokohama Marinos have reached this stage. The two teams will face off in the final’s second leg at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, with Yokohama Marinos holding a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.

Although they had not met before this edition’s final, both teams made their debut in the AFC Champions League in its new format in 2003. That year, Al Ain won the championship by defeating Thailand’s Tero Sasana 2-0 in the first leg and drawing 1-1 in the return leg. Al Ain has reached the AFC Champions League final four times over the past 21 years. They won the title in 2003 but fell short in 2005, and 2016, and now aim for victory in the 2023-2024 seasons.

In its second final appearance in 2005, Al Ain lost to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad with an aggregate score of 5-3. In 2016, Al Ain was defeated by South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors with an aggregate score of 2-3.

Throughout these years, Al Ain has boasted a lineup of standout players who have enhanced its continental reputation and secured numerous local titles. Among them is Omar Abdul Rahman, who played a crucial role in Al Ain’s 2016 AFC Champions League final qualification and was named the Best Player in Asia that year. The “golden generation” that won the 2003 title included notable players such as Fahd Ali, Salem Johar, Ghareeb Hareb, Ali Al-Wahaibi, Walid Salem, Hilal Saeed, Sabet Khater, Muhammad Omar, and Hamid Fakher.

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