On a historic night at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain FC won the AFC Champions League title deservedly after defeating Yokohama F. Marinos from Japan. After losing 1-2 in the first leg in Japan, Al Ain returned to secure a resounding victory with a score of 5-1 in front of their fans, clinching the biggest title in Asia on Saturday evening.
**Events of the Grand Final**
The tournament's star, Moroccan Sofiane Rahimi, did not wait long to open the scoring in the 8th minute, following a stunning series of passes. Paraguayan Kaku doubled Al Ain's lead in the 34th minute with a penalty kick that Rahimi expertly earned.
Brazilian Yan narrowed the score for Yokohama in the 40th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by defender Kwame. Rahimi cleverly restored Al Ain's advantage by causing the dismissal of Yokohama's goalkeeper, William Popp, in stoppage time of the first half.
From the start of the second half, Al Ain completely dominated the match, taking advantage of Yokohama's numerical disadvantage. As has become customary, Rahimi returned to score a spectacular goal in the 67th minute.
Togolese striker Kojo Laba finished the match and ignited joy in the sky of Al Ain City, scoring the fourth goal after capitalizing on an error by the substitute goalkeeper in the 92nd minute. As the final whistle approached, top scorer Laba struck again, netting the fifth goal in the 96th minute.
With this victory, Al Ain secured their second Asian title, following their success in 2003, and qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Al Ain lifted the prestigious trophy in front of nearly 25,000 of their fans who attended the football celebration at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
