May 20 – The UAE’s Sharjah FC scored a dramatic goal in the seventh minute of added time to the AFC Champions League Two 2-1 win. The goal came six minutes after over Singapore’s Lion City Sailors had equalised in the first minute of added time at the Bishan Stadium in Singapore.
Sharjah became the first club from the UAE to win the title. Al Ain are the only other UAE club to succeed on Asia’s international club stage, winning the AFC Champions League in 2003 and 2020.
For Lion City and their fans it was heartbreak with the game looking destined for added time after Belgian Maxime Lestienne had cancelled out Firas Ben Arbi’s 74th minute goal.
Brazilian-born midfielder Marcus Meloni was Sharjah’s hero, notching the winner deep in added time.
The match was evenly balanced throughout until Sharjah took the lead. Caio Lucas swung the ball over from the left corner of the area towards incoming full back Khaleed Ebraheim who in turn crossed the ball to Ben Arbi at the far post who finished the counter-attack.
With Sharjah looking set for the title, the prolific Lestienne hammered a low left-foot shot through a defender’s leg to equalise.
But Meloni then conjured a moment of brilliance, taking the ball in his right foot on the left side of the Lion City penalty area and bending an unstoppable low shot goalward.
The final marked the conclusion of the AFC’s inaugural men’s revamped club season, crowning three first-time champions. Sharjah’s win followed Al Ahli Saudi FC’s Champions League Elite win and FC Arkadag’s AFC Challenge League title.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa congratulated both teams and highlighted the success of the AFC’s new club eco-system.
“With the most transformative reforms ever to be introduced in the history of the Asian club game, the AFC ushered an exciting new chapter focused on collectively elevating our technical quality and I am proud to say that our MAs and Participating Clubs have delivered well beyond our expectations,” said Salman.
“The fact that we have witnessed three new first-time champions across all three men’s competitions clearly demonstrates the rising standards of the Continental club game. It is a wholehearted endorsement and a clear indication of the eagerness of our Asian clubs in embracing the landmark reforms and enhancing their efforts to not only compete, but to strive for success on the biggest stages.
“Looking ahead, I am filled with optimism for the future of Asian club football, and the AFC remains steadfast towards working in close partnership with our MAs, our clubs, and all our valued stakeholders to continuously push the boundaries and achieve new benchmarks with each passing season.”
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