Al-Ahli faces Japan: all AFC Champions League semifinalists confirmed
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
The 2025/26 AFC Champions League season is entering its home stretch. On April 18, the final quarterfinal match took place, revealing the complete lineup of semifinalists.
Previously, Japan’s Kobe, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli, and Japan’s Machida Zelvia—who pulled off a shock victory over Al-Ittihad—had already booked their tickets to the next round. The last spot went to Al-Ahli from Dubai.
In the semifinals, Kobe will go head-to-head with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli, while the namesake club from Dubai will clash with Machida Zelvia.
It’s worth noting that Al-Ahli of Jeddah is the reigning champion of the tournament. None of the other semifinalists have ever lifted the AFC Champions League trophy, and only Al-Ahli from Dubai has previously reached the final.
