Al-Ahli defeated Kawasaki Frontale of Japan with a score of 2-0 in the final of the AFC Champions League, marking the first time the club has won the championship in its history.
Al-Mashel said in statements reported by the Saudi newspaper “Asharq Al-Awsat”: “What Al-Ahli has achieved is a national achievement, reflecting the significant development that the Kingdom has witnessed in recent years, especially in football and sports in general.”
He added: “I wished for a purely Saudi final, but the important thing is that the winning team was Saudi, which enhances the status of Saudi football on the continental level.”
He continued: “One of the positives of hosting the final stages of the tournament is that the matches witnessed a large audience presence, reflecting the great passion of Saudi fans for sports, and I hope that the champions of the coming editions will also be from Saudi Arabia.”
