Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: As Lebanon’s Al Ahed FC celebrated a historic AFC Cup triumph, goalkeeper Mehdi Khalil was rewarded for a superb individual campaign with the 2019 AFC Cup’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Khalil’s honour came after his Al Ahed side defeated DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC 1-0 in Monday’s final at Kuala Lumpur Stadium to become the first Lebanese club in history to lift the AFC Cup.
"I thank my teammates, the whole tournament we fought as one and we got what we wanted, the trophy.
"I am very grateful to win the MVP as it is very difficult for a goalkeeper to win this award. I have to thank my teammates and coaches. Hopefully, we can come back next season and defend the AFC Cup," said Khalil.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Al Ahed FC became the first Lebanese club to win the AFC Cup, emerging as 1-0 winners over DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC in Monday’s final at Kuala Lumpur Stadium.
A second-half header from Issah Yakubu proved decisive for Bassem Marmar’s side, who navigated the entire knockout stage without conceding a goal on their way to a maiden Continental title.
Al Ahed spent much of the match in the ascendancy, with 4.25’s cause damaged by an early red card to goalkeeper An Tae-song, with Yakubu’s winner coming after a number of earlier chances had gone begging.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: While Al Ahed emerged atop the 2019 AFC Cup mountain, one of the competition’s major individual honours went to Ceres-Negros forward Bienvenido Marañón who won the Top Scorer Award.
The 33-year-old Spaniard scored 10 goals in just eight matches, with his Continent-beating haul coming despite his side’s exit at the Zonal semi-final stage.
Marañón won the title ahead of 4.25 SC’s Kim Yu-song and Hanoi FC’s Ganiyu Bolaji Oseni, both of whom found the back of the net on nine occasions.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: While the AFC Cup trophy spent a year outside West Asia after Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim claimed the 2015 title, it was to be emphatically taken back by a side that would write their name into the history books.
The-AFC.com continues its look back on tournaments gone by with the three most recent editions prior to the 2019 campaign as Iraq's Air Force Club complete a stunning hat-trick, a new Zonal format is introduced and attendance records are shattered.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: West Asian triumphs have dominated AFC Cup history over the years, with only Uzbekistan's Nasaf taking the trophy outside the region in the years between 2004 and 2014.
So,as the-AFC.com reviews the finals between 2013 and 2015, it is hardly surprising we see the first three-time champion comes from the West. However, in the latest look back at the showpiece event, a new force from Southeast Asia also arrives on the Continental scene.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: As the clock ticks down towards the 2019 AFC Cup Final between DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC and Al Ahed of Lebanon on November 2, the-AFC.com continues its look back at finals gone by.
In the latest edition, we turn our attention to the years from 2010 to 2012 when some of the most notable moments in the tournament’s history took place.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With two-and-a-half weeks remaining until the 2019 AFC Cup Final kicks off between Lebanese side Al Ahed and 4.25 SC of DPR Korea, we recall when sides from Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait had their moment in the sun.
Having begun our five-part series last week, The-AFC.com now presents the second entry on the history of the AFC Cup Finals and remembers the 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions of the Continental tournament.