Defender Roger Ibanez emphasized Al-Ahli's strong support for coach Matthias Jaissle after their 3-1 Asian Champions League Elite semi-final win over Al-Hilal, which secured their spot in the final. This comes three months after Jaissle was reportedly close to being sacked due to poor Saudi Pro League results. Fan protests are credited with his reprieve, and now he's one win away from Al-Ahli's first Asian title. Ibanez, named man of the match, highlighted the players' desire to repay Jaissle's efforts and finish the year strongly. Jaissle deflected talk about his situation, crediting the entire team, staff, and fans for the achievement. Al-Ahli will face either Al-Nassr or Kawasaki Frontale in the final. Their goals came from Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney, and Feras Al-Brikan, while Kalidou Koulibaly's red card hampered Al-Hilal.