Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was the difference on Tuesday night.
The Al Hilal goalkeeper stole the spotlight by denying Franck Kessié from the spot in the closing moments of their AFC Champions League semi-final.
With Al Ahli leading 3-1 and the clock ticking down, Riyad Mahrez earned a penalty in the 86th minute. Kessié stepped up, but Bounou guessed right and pulled off a brilliant save to keep him out.
It was a bitter repeat for Kessié. The last time he missed from the spot in an Al Ahli shirt was 176 days ago back on November 4, 2024, during a 5-1 group stage win over Al Shabtah. Despite his reputation as a reliable penalty taker with 36 career goals from the spot, this marked his second miss for Al Ahli and his eighth overall.
Kessié’s miss didn’t change the outcome, though. Al Ahli had already done enough to secure a spot in the AFC Champions League final, eliminating Al Hilal 3-1 on the night.
