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Khaleej Times
28-05-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Look: UAE President honours Shabab Al Ahli for historic football season
After a spectacular football season, Shabab Al Ahli Football Club continued their celebrations with a special reception hosted by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. The reception celebrated the club's spectacular achievements during the 2024–2025 season, during which they secured four major titles: the UAE President's Cup, the Adnoc Pro League, the UAE Super Cup, and the UAE-Qatar Challenge Shield. Sheikh Mohamed congratulated the players, head coach, and the club's administrative and technical staff, as well as the fans, on their achievement. He praised the team's remarkable performance throughout the season and also commended the players for their exemplary sportsmanship, which he described as a key factor in the team's success. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Shabab Al Ahli's performance this season was capped off with a 2-1 victory over Al Jazira in the final round of the Adnoc Pro League, held at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Lukamilivojovic and Munas Dabour scored in the second half, securing the win despite an early goal by Al Jazira's Buddy de Oliveira. The victory earned Shabab Al Ahli their fifth league title in the professional era and the ninth in the club's overall history. They finished the season at the top of the table with 63 points from 26 matches, having won 19, drawn six, and lost just one. The team scored a total of 57 goals while conceding only 22. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shabab Al Ahli Club extended his congratulations to the board members, players, and staff, and praised the team's consistency and high-level performance throughout the season. This historic season has bolstered the Shabab Al Ahli's legacy as one of the premier football institutions in the UAE.
Saudi Gazette
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
Mahrez, Firmino and Mendy complete rare continental double with Al Ahli triumph
Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Al Ahli FC etched their name into Asian football history with golden letters after being crowned champions of the AFC Champions League Elite 2025, marking a monumental moment not just for the club, but for three of its star players. The club's triumphant run was capped off with a 2-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale in Jeddah — a night that will be remembered by their fans for generations to come. But beyond the title, it was the extraordinary achievement of Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, and Edouard Mendy that made headlines across the globe. The trio became the first players in football history to win both the UEFA Champions League and the AFC Champions League Elite, a unique feat that bridges Europe and Asia. Mahrez had lifted the European crown with Manchester City in 2023. Firmino earned his title with Liverpool in 2019. Mendy was part of Chelsea's victorious squad in 2021. Mendy, however, added another layer of distinction to his legacy. With Senegal, he had already claimed the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2021, making him one of the very few players to win major continental titles on three different continents — Africa, Europe, and now golden chapter underscores Al Ahli's rising stature of Saudi football on the international stage, powered by elite talent and ambitious investment.
Saudi Gazette
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
Al Ahli books 2029 Club World Cup ticket with AFC Elite crown
Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia has officially clinched a place in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup following Al Ahli FC's 2-0 victory over Japan's Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League Elite Finals Jeddah 2025. The victory ensured that Saudi football became the first in Asia to secure a confirmed representative in the expanded 32-team Club World Cup edition, where Asia will send four continental champions from the 2025 to 2028 editions. In addition to the Club World Cup berth, Al Ahli have also booked a historic place in the newly introduced FIFA Intercontinental Cup, marking the first time a Saudi club qualifies for the global competition. Al Ahli are set to face the winner of the Oceania–Africa playoff, which will be contested between the OFC Champions League winner and the CAF Champions League champion — either Egypt's Pyramids FC or South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns. That match will be played on Saudi soil, and the winner will lift the Africa-Asia-Oceania Championship — a title last won by Al Ahly of Egypt following their win over UAE's Al Ain. Should Al Ahli triumph in that tie, they would progress to the Challenge Cup Final, where they'll meet the champion of North and Central America (CONCACAF) or South America (CONMEBOL), with a place in the Intercontinental Cup Final at stake. The Intercontinental Cup Final — scheduled for December 18 — will pit the Challenge Cup winner against the UEFA Champions League winner, with the host country to be announced after all continental champions are confirmed. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia lost its bid to host the Intercontinental Cup due to FIFA's neutrality clause, which prevents a nation with a participating club from staging the tournament. As AFC Elite champions, Al Ahli earned continental glory and a global ticket and also secured automatic qualification to the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite, regardless of their domestic league finish.
