Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: The turn of the last millennium may seem like a lifetime for most but for Al Hilal icon Mohammad Al-Shalhoub, the jubilant scenes of that fateful night in April 2000 have stuck with him throughout his career.
Spurred by a capacity home crowd at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Al Hilal came from behind to stun Japan’s Jubilo Iwata 3-2 in extra-time, clinching the Asian Club Championship trophy only for the second time in their illustrious history.
“I remember it clearly, of course. It was an indescribable feeling and particularly special for me since it was during the earlier part of my Al Hilal career.
“I still remember that most of the players from the Japanese team were very strong and it was a great joy, especially when we scored the second goal to equalise in the dying minutes of the second half, before finally snatching the win in extra-time,” said the veteran, who is the only Al Hilal player still in today’s squad.
Despite being a dominant force on the domestic front, the West Asians have yet to land their hands on the ultimate prize since the AFC Champions League revamp in 2009, coming closest in 2014 when they were narrowly beaten by Western Sydney Wanderers in the final.
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