Rising powers, mounting pressures: What ACL Elite Matchday Three told us

Three rounds in to the AFC Champions League Elite season, the early narrative is starting to emerge, as some of the key heavyweights begin to find their footing, unexpected contenders threaten to stake their claim, and a number of results start to disrupt the anticipated order ahead of the group stage’s halfway point next week.

An Emirati renaissance continues in the West, with Shabab Al Ahli and Al Ain leading the way at expense of Saudi inconsistencies, while three of Japan’s five representatives continued in more expected winning fashion at the top of the East.

Predictability remains elusive however; with Al Hilal suffering their first defeat of the new season, Neftchi pushing Al Ittihad all the way in Fergana, and Kashiwa Reysol being held in Thailand. There were also maiden ACL Elite victories for Cong An Ha Noi and Al Shamal.

As the league stage approaches its mid-point, however, football on the pitch risks being overshadowed by wider questions surrounding confederation governance, hosting of the upcoming Asian Cup and the future structure of international football. Another eventful week on the pitch nevertheless offered plenty to consider.

The Player

Ren Komatsu’s glancing header eight minutes from time looked to have rescued Vissel Kobe from a potential banana skin against Daejeon Hana Citizen in South Korea. Yet it was at the other end where the result was ultimately secured.

At 37, goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda continues to underline his value to the East region’s league stage leaders, producing five critical saves as Kobe weathered a difficult contest to edge to their third victory in succession. Two interventions, in particular, stood out: brilliantly denying Jeong Jae-hee and Kim Jun-beom either side of half-time to prevent Daejeon from turning their advantage into something more substantial.

Gonda is increasingly returning to the dependable presence he once was known for, as Vissel continue to compete on both national and continental fronts without yet demonstrating their true potential. Following another impressive display against Machida Zelvia in midweek, Gonda was one of just three players to retain his place for the trip to Korea; given the inconsistency of those in front of him, his continued selection was proven to be a wise one.

It’s odd to think, that Daiya Maekawa had once appeared to be Gonda’s natural successor, having taken over the starting spot during the latter stages of last season’s ACL Elite campaign, but lately, unconvincing recent displays have seen the veteran reclaim his place this season when Kobe have needed him most.

Gonda rarely attracts the attention afforded to Japan’s more celebrated names, but he has repeatedly delivered on the biggest stages; as Japan’s first-choice goalkeeper during their run to the 2019 Asian Cup final and playing his part in the memorable 2022 World Cup campaign, when the Samurai Blue defeated Germany and Spain.

For a Vissel side still trying to balance domestic and continental charges, Gonda’s experience will be invaluable. But crucially, with the Asian Cup approaching in the next few months, questions will inevitably link him with a recall to the Japanese national squad. Heading into his 38th year, two title challenges in Saudi Arabia may be on the cards for Gonda over the coming months.

The Team

Three wins from three in the West might ordinarily leave a Saudi Pro League heavyweight atop of the league phase at this point, but instead it is 2024 champions Al Ain setting the early pace.

The competition’s leading scorers, Al Ain faced a rather different test this week however, against the more pragmatic and forensic Tractor Sazi. The Iranian side offered a stubborn defensive performance and a persistent counter-attacking threat, coming close to producing an upset at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium; the hosts had to work considerably harder than their previous results might have suggested.

Rami Rabia’s long-range first half strike, which had wrong-footed Parsa Jafari, provided the breakthrough, but the contribution of Al Ain’s deeper players was equally important in the build-up. Rabia’s defensive partner Dorde Skoko and holding midfielder Abdoul Traore helped maintain control under pressure, while the ever-reliable Khalid Eisa remained alert when Tractor threatened.

Even in such a tight contest, though, Houssine Rahimi yet again proved the difference maker. Arriving to convert Yahya Ben Khaleq’s cross in the 70th minute, the forward took his tally to five goals in three Champions League outings; his pace and movement are critical to Al Ain’s attack, but his finishing is becoming an equally decisive weapon.

Usually in the shadow of his elder brother, Soufiane, Houssine this season remains effective even in his sibling’s absence; an illustration of maturity, and a promise for what is to come. The brothers are playing amid the grief following the death of their father, former Raja Casablanca player and legendary kit man Mohamed Rahimi in September, with their goals becoming a very public ongoing tribute to his memory and the influence he had on their lives in football.

Given the early stages, there are reasons for caution. Al Ain’s relatively thin starting squad is already showing signs of strain; domestic results have been less convincing, with the club struggling for consistency since early September. Sustaining a consistent challenge across both competitions will require more than the contributions of their leading attackers, but their opening three performances already suggest a side growing into the role of genuine contenders.

The Talking Point

For all the interest another week of Champions League football brings, the mere practicalities of staging the competition have begun to overshadow the action on the field.

The consequences of the recent Iranian conflict continue to disrupt the Asian footballing schedule, with Tractor this week encountering last-minute difficulties travelling to Dubai, whilst both Iranian representatives continue to play their nominal home fixtures at neutral venues. Yet the latest complications have extended beyond the immediate effects of the initial conflict, exposing a wider problem for the AFC as it attempts to balance security concerns, competing national interests and a demanding continental calendar.

Recent Houthi strikes on Saudi airports in Riyadh and Dammam have added to the uncertainty surrounding travel across the region. With the Asian Cup and Champions League finals series set to take place in Saudi Arabia over the next six months, questions over where and how matches can safely take place are becoming increasingly difficult to defer.

The AFC’s handling of this week’s scheduled meeting between Al Nassr and Al Wasl was particularly telling. The fixture was postponed at the last minute following security concerns, reportedly heightened by objections from the travelling Emiratis, with Al Nassr challenging the decision, arguing that arrangements had already been made and officials were in place.

The AFC’s decision to postpone rather than award a forfeit was revealing, particularly given the precedents established in previous seasons. Across Asia, the governing body has repeatedly relied on alternative travel and neutral venues to keep fixtures on schedule. Just recently, meanwhile, Al Hilal travelled by road to Qatar to face Al Sadd earlier this month, before Al Sadd made the reverse journey to face Al Qadsiah this week.

Such arrangements can only provide temporary respite, but they are no substitute for a consistent response from the top. The direction taken by Al Wasl and indirectly the backing of the UAE FA leaves the AFC facing an awkward balancing act, in accommodating legitimate security concerns while ensuring the competition’s regulations are applied consistently, regardless of the clubs and associations involved.

The immediate challenge is to reschedule the postponed fixture while accommodating two further rounds of Champions League action before the end of the calendar year. Al Ain’s trip to Jeddah to face Al Ittihad and Shabab Al Ahli’s visit to Riyadh to meet Al Hilal next week leaves little room for manoeuvre if further disruption occurs.

The bigger issue extends beyond the Champions League, as AFC continues to face questions over the staging of the 2027 Asian Cup, with Saudi Arabia maintaining that preparations remain on schedule despite regional security concerns. Saudi Arabia is central to the AFC’s commercial and competitive ambitions, with its financial investment and growing influence shaping the continent’s footballing landscape.

That makes the confederation’s position particularly tricky, with decisions affecting Saudi clubs and hosting arrangements inevitably carrying political as well as sporting difficulties. The AFC cannot indefinitely rely on improvised travel arrangements and last-minute decisions to keep its calendar intact.

The coming weeks will play out in public, as the AFC’s responds to calls for clarity and consistency, needed not only to protect the integrity of its competitions but their backing of the full confederation, stretching further out to the East.

With the Asian Cup fast approaching and little breathing space in the existing calendar, the issues it has sought to defer may soon prove impossible to ignore.