AFC Champions League Elite | Semi-Final | Monday, 20 April 2026 King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | Attendance: 44,716
Vissel Kobe gave everything. They led at the break, defended with real discipline, and for long stretches looked like they might just pull off one of the competition’s great upsets. Then Galeno hit one from 25 yards and the whole thing changed in an instant.
Al Ahli are in the final. Again. The defending champions came from behind to beat Kobe 2-1, and it was not comfortable until the final whistle. Galeno scored the equaliser — a rocket into the top corner that had no business going in — and Ivan Toney did the rest, poking home from close range after goalkeeper Daiya Maekawa failed to deal with a cross.
Final score: Al Ahli 2-1 Vissel Kobe. Job done for the Saudi giants. Heartbreak for the Japanese side who will board their flight home knowing they were 45 minutes from a continental final.
The atmosphere at King Abdullah Sports City before kick-off was something else. A massive tifo covered the Al Ahli end. 44,716 inside the ground. Franck Kessie standing in front of it looking like he owned the place. Al Ahli had every advantage you could ask for — home ground, home crowd, defending champions, a squad worth hundreds of millions.
Yoshinori Muto scored the opening goal in the 31st minute and none of that seemed to matter.
It was a moment that silenced the stadium briefly. Muto — the experienced Japanese forward who has been one of Kobe’s most consistent performers this season — got on the end of a move and finished to give the visitors the lead. A brilliant goal against the run of play. The crowd did not take long to recover but suddenly Kobe looked like they believed.
The first half ended 1-0 to Vissel. Al Ahli had their moments — Rayan Hamed headed a Galeno free kick onto the upright in stoppage time, Toney dragged a shot wide — but Kobe went into the break ahead and their fans back in Japan would have been dreaming.
The second half was a different game. Al Ahli came out with aggression and intent. Roger Ibanez headed across goal when completely free — the Brazilian defender should have scored. At the other end, Daiju Sasaki struck the Al Ahli crossbar. Both teams going at it.
Then came the goal that turned the semi-final on its head.
Galeno had scored a wonder strike in the quarter-final against Johor Darul Ta’zim. This one was better. From 25 yards out, he got the ball, took a touch to set himself, and arrowed it into the top corner. Maekawa had no chance. The crowd erupted. 1-1 in the 62nd minute — and suddenly Al Ahli were in full flow.
Eight minutes later, Toney made it 2-1 and the game was settled.
The goal was partly a goalkeeper error. Galeno crossed from the left and Maekawa came out to claim it, got nowhere near it, and parried it straight into a dangerous area. Toney was there. From an acute angle, through a group of bodies, he found a way to get it in. It was the kind of goal that top strikers score — not always pretty, but absolutely decisive.
Mahrez thought he had made it three when he fired in a brilliant strike late on. The offside flag went up. Al Ahli did not need it anyway. They managed the closing stages with the composure you expect from a team who had been in this situation before. Kobe pushed, threatened, and never gave up — but the momentum was gone and the clock was running down.
Full time: Al Ahli 2-1 Vissel Kobe.
For Toney, it was a significant moment. The England striker had scored just once in the tournament going into the semi-final, and there had been questions about whether he could produce in the biggest games. He answered on Monday night. He described carrying Al Ahli’s AFC Champions League hopes as a privilege afterwards.
Galeno was man of the match without much debate. Two goals from outside the box in two knockout rounds is a ridiculous return. His ability to hit the ball clean from range — something that sounds simple but is extraordinarily rare at this level — has made him the competition’s standout player in the knockout stages.
Al Ahli won this tournament for the first time last May, defeating Kawasaki Frontale in the final. They are 90 minutes from defending that title. Their opponents in the final will be decided by the other semi-final between Machida Zelvia and Shabab Al Ahli. If Machida progress, it will be the first final in AFC Champions League history between two clubs from the same country — both Japanese. A remarkable achievement for a club that has never won the competition.
For Vissel Kobe, the season continues in the J1 League with matches against Kyoto Sanga and Cerezo Osaka coming up. The AFC run will sting — they were genuinely competitive against one of Asia’s best teams and deserved more than they got from the first 45 minutes. That counts for something, even in defeat.
For live AFC Champions League scores and continental football coverage, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full bracket, results and final details are available at the official AFC Champions League website.
Vissel Kobe 1-2 Al Ahli SC AFC Champions League Elite | Semi-Final | Monday, 20 April 2026 King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah | Attendance: 44,716
Goals: Yoshinori Muto 31′ (Vissel Kobe), Galeno 62′ (Al Ahli), Ivan Toney 70′ (Al Ahli) Ruled Out: Riyad Mahrez (offside, late), Roger Ibanez (offside, early second half)
Vissel Kobe: Maekawa; Sakai, Ogawa, Iiniesta, Goke; Mitsuta (Jean Patrick 58′), Maekawa D; Sasaki, Muto, Nishino; Osako
Al Ahli SC: Mendy; Al Hawsawi, Demiral (Al Buraikan 58′), Ibanez, Milot; Kessie, Hamed; Mahrez, Millot, Galeno; Toney
Half-time: 0-1 | Stats: Possession Kobe 38% — Al Ahli 62% | Shots on Goal: 4-7 | Attempts: 9-18 | Corners: 3-8
