An unprecedented achievement on the shoulders of victory

Japan’s Gamba Osaka made history with its widest gates after… At the expense of “Al-Nasr” of Saudi Arabia, he was crowned the champion of AFC Champions League 2.

Al-Nasr went down to a penalty shootout in Saturday night’s final at home and in front of their fans as Turkish Denys Humit scored the only goal of the game in the 29th minute, while the Saudi side failed to capitalize on the many chances they had throughout the match.

Gamba Osaka thus became the first Japanese team to win the tournament since its inception in 2004 as the AFC Cup, before its name was later changed.

Al-Nasr’s woes did not end with the title loss, but his absence from the ranks of the continental crown continued for a 28th consecutive season as his last Asian achievement came in 1998 when he won the Asian Super Cup against South Korea’s Pohang Steelers.

The final also saw Al-Nasr’s first appearance in the continental final since that historic crowning, but the team failed to complete the Asian leg, giving Gamba Osaka an unprecedented continental championship win.