Last Wednesday was Ahli’s night! Ahli beat Ittihad in the second leg of the Asian Champions League semifinal. Ahli came prepared in comparison to its rival, and the match started out good until the final whistle. Everything that happened after that was shameful and probably deserving for Ittihad as they were beaten to 2-0. It was also a surprise to many as most predictions were in favor of Ittihad, considering it won the first leg 1-0. Needless to say, Ahli was resolute and persistent.

I think Ittihad became overconfident of themselves. They probably thought that the win was already in the bag because they looked very complacent to me. I guess this is a lesson they have to learn the hard way.

Now, Ahli will fly to Korea and meet Ulsan Hyundai in the final match. Hopefully, Oct. 17 will be a happy day for Saudi Arabia as we finally celebrate a championship.

There is a good chance of becoming king of Asia if Ahli keeps up the good work. They also have to learn from Ittihad’s mistake and never underestimate Ulsan. This team is powerful and not to forget that the match will be in Korea which gives Ulsan a huge homecourt advantage.

On a different note, Saudi League’s three icons have surprisingly been on a downward spiral. Hilal won against Faisaly 1-0 only from a penalty shot, Shabab lost 1-3 to Ittifaq and Ittihad lost 0-2 to Najran right after their 0-2 loss to Ahli in their Asian battle. It looks to me like the tides are changing. It is true that the only thing permanent in this world is change.

Follow me on Twitter @alhamadbander.