MUSCAT: The Sultanate’s Al Seeb Club kept their date and kissed the AFC Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The Omani Club made history by becoming the first outfit from the Sultanate to triumph at any finals at Asian level and made it a memorable day.

Saturday will be written on golden figures as Oman’s Al Seeb Club blanked Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur City FC 3-0 in the final of AFC Cup to make history and were crowned kings of Asia in National Stadium Bukit Jalil at Kuala Lumpur.

Ali Al Busaidi opened the account for the Omani club in the 22^nd minute before Abdulaziz Al Muqbali doubled the lead 15 minutes later while Muhsen Al Ghassani in the 69^th minute completed the demolition of the KL City.

Al Seeb Club are two-time Oman champions and four-time winner of Sultan’s Cup, the symbol of supremacy in the Sultanate.

The AFC Cup is continent’s secondary club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the winners will get automatic berth  for the 2023-’24 AFC Champions League, the most coveted prize in the continent.

Defending champion Bahraini club Al Muharraq who failed to obtain the AFC license could not even field their team this time.

KL City were looking to follow compatriots Johor Darul Ta’zim who lifted the trophy in 2015.

 The Omani outfit made it to the final after thumping Bahraini club Al Riffa 4-0 in the semifinal watched by vociferous 12,000 fans at Seeb Sports Stadium. Their first final appearance also bettered old record of Al Nahda who reached the semifinals in 2008.

 Al Seeb also became the first Omani football team to win any AFC club competitions.

 Hosts Kuala Lumpur City FC head coach Bojan Hodak, on eve of the final, had said that Seeb are the favourites but his Omani counterpart Rasheed Jabar, however, felt that the final is always an even contest.

“We didn’t expect to reach the final as our target was just to go through the group stage. However, things changed after our victory against Viettel FC in Vietnam and we are hoping this momentum will carry us past Al Seeb to the title,” Hodak told the-AFC.com.  “Against Al Seeb, the odds are stacked against us. Al Seeb are a very good team as they have four to five national team players among their ranks. With Oman being ranked higher than Malaysia, I believe they are the favourites going into the final.”

On their way to final, the hosts posted wins over India’s ATK Mohun Bagan and PFC Sogdiana of Uzbekistan. 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1583787105444302849 (goal scoring video)