Sharjah Ends Ahli Jeddah’s 22-Game Asian Streak With a 1-0 Late Winner
24 November 2025
End of the Streak
The UAE side, Sharjah FC, ended Al Ahli Jeddah’s historic Asian run with a 1-0 victory on Monday night, in the fifth round of the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-2026. Ahli’s tally sits at 10 points, placing them second in West Asia Group standings, while Sharjah climbs to seven and moves to sixth in the table.
Champ of the Edition
Ahli began this long streak in 2020-2021, avoiding a loss in five consecutive games, and extended it into the last season and into the first four matches of the current campaign. Sharjah’s win also saw Ahli’s undefeated run across all competitions come to a ten-match halt, with a late goal by Osman Kamara in the 81st minute sealing the fate of the night.
The catalyst for Sharjah’s win came late, converting a late alert into a headline moment that redefines the balance of power in the group. Ahli, the defending continental champions, had not tasted defeat for 22 matches across the AFC Champions League, a run that began in April 2021 and lasted 1,684 days until this setback.
Ahli had carried the streak through 13 matches in 2020-2021, then continued through 13 more across last season and the first four games of this campaign, before Sharjah interrupted the run with a late, decisive strike.
Expected Criticisms
With the end of Ahli’s UAE-based resiliency, the team and coach Matthias Jaissle now face a pivotal, delicate phase. Expect heightened scrutiny on the squad’s offense, finishing, defensive gaps, and overall tactical approach. Public and media are likely to focus on whether the team can rebound quickly and restore its continental relevance.
The loss has dramatic implications for the public narrative around Ahli’s performance in Asia and locally, and pundits will debate whether the team’s identity and system need swift adjustment to maintain high levels of competition.
Jaissle’s ability to diagnose issues and implement fast solutions will be tested as the calendar tightens, especially with upcoming AFC fixtures and domestic commitments looming.
Hard Challenges
The path ahead looks demanding for Ahli, with significant tests on multiple fronts as the schedule intensifies. A loss is more than a result; it signals the scale of difficulties awaiting them in both continental and domestic battles, including adversaries hungry for revenge and mounting media scrutiny.
Tactically, re-evaluating setup, closing gaps, and sharpening finishing will be crucial. Psychologically, rebuilding fighter mentality is essential to withstand pressure from fans and pundits who will monitor every move of the coach. The coming days will shape how the club’s public image and on-pitch performance recover, and how they balance AFC commitments with domestic duties.
In short, Sharjah’s late winner shouts that anything can happen in football—and that sometimes you don’t need 90 minutes to rewrite a season’s narrative. Jaissle will have to navigate quickly, or risk turning a historic night into a footnote in a story about consistency and resilience.
