AFC Champions League Final: Al Ahli Facts & Figures

Overview

Al Ahli claimed their sixth United Arab Emirates league title in 2014 after they finished the season 16 points ahead of runners-up Al Wahda. They also won the UAE League Cup but were denied a domestic treble after losing 1-0 to Al Ain in the President’s Cup final.

The Dubai-based club struggled in their first five appearances in the AFC Champions League, going out in the qualifying round in 2002-03 and failing to get past the Group Stage in 2005, 2009, 2010 and last year.

But Al Ahli finally made it through to the Knockout Stage this year by finishing second in Group D and after being held 0-0 at home by league rivals Al Ain in the first leg in the Round of 16, they drew 3-3 in the return game to advance to the quarter-finals on away goals.

They overcame Iranian side Naft Tehran 3-1 on aggregate in the last eight before claiming a dramatic victory over Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals as Kwon Kyung-won’s stoppage-time strike gave them a 4-3 aggregate triumph.

AFC Champions League record

2014 – Group Stage
2010 – Group Stage
2009 – Group Stage
2005 – Group Stage
2003 – 4th Qualifying Round

Team

Al Ahli are the 20th different club to reach the AFC Champions League final since the inaugural tournament in 2002-03.
They are the first United Arab Emirates side to play in the final since 2005 when Al Ain finished runners-up after losing 5-3 on aggregate to Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.
As they did not get past the Group Stage prior to this season, this is the first time that Al Ahli are facing east Asian opponents in the AFC Champions League.
They are just the second UAE club to meet Chinese opposition in the AFC Champions League after Al Ain who beat Dalian Shide 7-6 on aggregate in the 2002-03 semi-finals and trounced Shenzhen Jianlibao 6-0 in the 2005 semi-finals.
Since losing 3-2 to Al Hilal in 2010, Al Ahli have been unbeaten in their last 10 home games in the AFC Champions League, drawing six matches and winning four including their dramatic 3-2 victory over Al Hilal in the semi-finals.
They are on a seven-match unbeaten run in this season’s tournament, winning four games and drawing three since a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in the Group Stage in April.

Players

Ahmed Khalil is Al Ahli’s leading scorer and the joint-second highest scorer in the tournament with six goals, two behind Guangzhou Evergrande’s Ricardo Goulart.
Brazilian forward Lima has been in good scoring form since he joined Al Ahli from Portuguese giants Benfica in the summer, netting in all four AFC Champions League games he has played for the Dubai club.
Lima will be hoping to make it fourth time lucky in a continental club final after finishing as a runner-up in the UEFA Europa League final with Portugal’s Sporting Braga in 2011 and Benfica in 2013 and 2014.
Kwon Kyung-won’s winner in the 3-2 victory over Al Hilal was the Korean midfielder’s first-ever AFC Champions League goal. The 23-year-old played for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the 2013 and 2014 tournaments before joining Al Ahli earlier this year.
Kwon and Ahmed Khalil are the only players to start in all 12 of Al Ahli’s games in this season’s tournament. Defender Walid Abbas started in the club’s first 11 games before being used as a substitute in the second leg of the semi-finals.

Head Coach: Cosmin Olaroiu

Born: June 10, 1969 (46)
Nationality: Romanian

A former centre-back, Cosmin Olaroiu won the Romanian league with Steaua Bucharest in 2006 before he was appointed the following year by Al Hilal where he won the Saudi league and Crown Prince Cup.

The 46-year-old moved to Qatar in 2009 to coach Al Sadd before joining UAE side Al Ain and winning two league titles there. He took charge of Al Ahli in 2013 and continued his successful run by leading the Dubai club to the UAE league title as well as victory in the UAE League Cup.

He briefly took charge of Saudi Arabia for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup but returned to his full-time position at Al Ahli after the Green Falcons were eliminated in the opening round in Australia.

Photo: WSG