Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) had their historic continental run come to a bittersweet end at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on Friday, 17th April, 2026. The match was nothing sort of dramatic. The Southern Tigers gave a scare to the defending champions Al-Ahli on Friday night, but the Saudi Arabian giants came back to win 2-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) quarter-final.
JDT, led by the experienced Natxo Insa, went into the lion’s den with a careful, disciplined game plan. The Malaysian champions waited patiently to take advantage of openings on the counter-attack against a star-studded lineup that included Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez. In the 19th minute, Jairo da Silva’s fast run down the right side forced a low cross that Al-Ahli’s Ali Majrashi accidentally turned into his own net, giving JDT a surprising 1-0 lead.
But things got worse for Majrashi in the 37th minute. The defender’s high-boot challenge hit Jairo da Silva in the face, which changed the course of the game. After a tense review, the referee, Adham Makhadmeh, gave a straight red card. However, it was very bad for JDT because their Brazilian forward got a concussion and had to be carried off the pitch.
The event led to a heated fight, and Insa and Jonathan Silva both got booked for their actions. Even though they were outnumbered, Al-Ahli showed the strength of champions. In the last few seconds of first-half stoppage time, Franck Kessie jumped up to head in a corner kick, tying the game.
JDT came back for the second half with more aggression, hoping to take advantage of their extra man. But it was the 10-man Al-Ahli who struck the final blow. In the 54th minute, Galeno showed off his individual skill by hitting a thunderous long-range shot from outside the box that the JDT keeper couldn’t stop.
The Southern Tigers fought hard until the end, but Al-Ahli’s defence stayed strong. Even though they lost, JDT leaves the tournament with their heads held high. They made history as the first Malaysian club to ever reach the quarter-finals of Asia’s top club competition.
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