JEDDAH: The official AFC Champions League Elite trophy made a special journey across NEOM this week, as excitement builds for the tournament’s final in Jeddah on Saturday.

As a tournament partner for the last eight matches of this year’s competition, including the final, NEOM has been showcasing the trophy at key locations across its 26,500-square-kilometer development.

The tour took in some of NEOM’s most striking destinations, from the snow-covered slopes of Trojena to the shores of the Adventure Sports Hub and through the NEOM Nature Region.

Accompanied by Mohammed Al-Burayk, NEOM Sports Club ambassador, the tour shone a light on the wide range of sports that are becoming central to NEOM’s vision for the future, from football and skiing to kitesurfing and beyond.

Jan Paterson, managing director of NEOM Sport, said: “Hosting the trophy at NEOM is about much more than the game. It’s a moment that connects our people and our regions to one of Asia’s top sporting stages, reflecting how sport is an integral part of the fabric of NEOM.”

NEOM’s partnership with the Asian Football Confederation has also supported several grassroots initiatives, including the Shuhub Community Youth Football Program, which has engaged around 10,000 young people across Saudi Arabia so far.

Through the collaboration, local boys and girls from football community groups have enjoyed once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including participating in AFC matches as player mascots, center circle children and the first-ever trophy handover by children at the AFC Champions League 2023/24 final.

LONDON: Three Saudi Arabian teams entered the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite in Jeddah, and all three progressed to the last four. On Tuesday, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal meet in the first semi-final while, 24 hours later, Al-Nassr take on Kawasaki Frontale of Japan. Here are five things to look out for as the continent’s premier club competition reaches its climax.

Al-Dawsari the main man for Al-Hilal

The headlines wrote themselves after Al-Hilal thrashed Gwangju FC 7-0 on Friday. A team that had looked uncharacteristically shaky on the home front was suddenly back to doing its favorite thing, winning big in big Asian games.

Coach Jorge Jesus would have been delighted with the fact that all seven goals against the South Koreans were scored by different players. Perhaps the best was Salem Al-Dawsari’s effort as he moved to nine goals for the tournament so far. That is an incredible effort for a player who is not a striker and is surrounded by players who love nothing more than to get on the scoresheet.

So for all the famous foreign talent, it is a very familiar face that Al-Ahli will have to be wary of on Tuesday. Al-Dawsari is in some of the best form of an exceptional career. He will take some stopping and, on Friday’s evidence, so will Al-Hilal.

Recent Ahli win means nothing but Firmino on fire

“Bring on Al-Hilal” chanted the Al-Ahli fans as their team defeated Buriram United 3-0 on Saturday.

Understandably so. It was just a few weeks ago that Ivan Toney scored a hat-trick to give the Greens a famous 3-2 win over the Blues in Riyadh. That will give the Jeddah giants confidence but will not actually mean that much when the two teams take the pitch in Jeddah. Beating Al-Hilal once a season is not easy, twice is special.

Yet Al-Hilal will know that they lost to a team without Roberto Firmino because the former Liverpool star is not registered for the Saudi Pro League. The Brazilian took out the frustration of prolonged inactivity on Buriram on Saturday with a top-class display of attacking vision, creativity and no small goal threat.

It has been a mixed season for “Bobby” but if he can down Al-Hilal and take Al-Ahli to a third final and a first title then his status as club legend will be assured.

Al-Nassr look to Ronaldo to make it an all-Saudi final

Al-Nassr made short work of Yokohama F. Marinos, winning 4-1 against the Japanese team. The only downside was the late goal conceded.

To be honest, Stefano Pioli’s men were not tested too much and swept aside the visitors in waves of attacks in the first half. Jhon Duran scored twice and his cutting edge will be needed in the next game. Yokohama are bottom of the J. League and were poor defensively. Kawasaki Frontale will not be quite as generous.

The pressure is on the Yellows. They have never been Asian champions. If they lose here then the season is almost over given that they are eight points behind an Al-Ittihad team that is resting and recovering while its title rivals are playing in Asia.

The likes of Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte have won big prizes but none more so than Cristiano Ronaldo. His experience and leadership will be crucial. Losing at the semi-final stage is always painful but will be especially so with the knowledge that there is a Saudi Arabian rival waiting.

Kawasaki ready to learn from other easterners

The Japanese team have underachieved in Asia in their past 10 appearances but eventually made it to the semi-finals for the first time on Sunday with a 3-2 win over Al-Sadd. After three disappointing results from East Asian teams in the previous two days, it is good for the competition that there is a representative from the other side of the continent.

Kawasaki are up against it. Al-Nassr have had an extra day’s rest and the Japanese team had to go into extra-time. Al-Nassr have the home support too. Yet all that means there is little pressure on the four-time J. League champions.

In the other three quarterfinals, all the Saudi Arabian teams scored early and the games were soon over. Kawasaki will be determined not to make the same mistakes. If they can keep it tight then the tension and frustration may grow.

It is not the first all-Saudi Champions League semi-final

This is the first time in the tournament’s history that three teams from one country are in the last four. The Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli semi-final is not, however, the first time that Saudi Arabian teams have met at this stage.

In 2012 there was the Jeddah derby. Al-Ittihad defeated their local rivals Al-Ahli 1-0 thanks to Naif Hazazi. The second leg was at the same Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium. Al-Ittihad were ready to get to another final but ended up losing 2-0. Moataz Al-Mousa scored just before the break and then, as extra-time loomed, Victor Simoes won it for the Greens who then lost 3-0 to Ulsan of South Korea in the final.

In 2021, it was time for the Riyadh derby, a one-legged affair. Moussa Marega put Al-Hilal ahead in the first half. Soon after the restart, Talisca equalized for Al-Nassr and then, with 20 minutes remaining, Salem Al-Dawsari struck to score one of the most famous goals of his career to send the Blues to the final where they went on to win a fourth crown.

He will be looking to do something similar on Tuesday.