JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, September 15, 2026: Feras Al-Brikan has already scored one goal that preserved Al-Ahli’s place at the top of Asian club football.
On Monday night, he delivered another that may prove valuable for a very different reason.
The defending AFC Champions League Elite winners were seven minutes removed from an opening-night defeat when Al-Brikan struck in stoppage time to rescue a 1-1 draw against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor at King Abdullah Sports City.
Flamarion had stunned the hosts with an 86th-minute opener. Al-Brikan answered in the 93rd, preventing Marino Pušić’s first AFC Champions League Elite match as Al-Ahli coach from ending in defeat.
Story at a glance
Al Ahli vs Pakhtakor: How Did Feras Al-Brikan Rescue the 1-1 Draw?
For 85 minutes, neither side had found a breakthrough.
Who Scored in Al Ahli vs Pakhtakor?
Flamarion’s late goal threatened to change the tone around Al-Ahli’s opening continental night completely.
Why Did Al Ahli Need Feras Al-Brikan Again?
Al-Brikan’s importance cannot be measured only through volume.
What Has Changed at Al Ahli Under Marino Pusic?
The largest change is on the touchline.
Can Al Ahli Win Three AFC Champions League Elite Titles in a Row?
That question will follow Al-Ahli through every round of this competition.
The point is only one result in a long league phase. Its wider meaning comes from what Al-Ahli are attempting to accomplish.
They won Asia in 2025. They defended the crown in 2026. Now they are trying to become the first club in the modern competition era to win three consecutive Asian titles, a challenge outlined in The Sports Encounter’s analysis of the expanded 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite draw.
Pakhtakor nearly gave that pursuit an immediate jolt.
Al Ahli vs Pakhtakor: How Did Feras Al-Brikan Rescue the 1-1 Draw?
For 85 minutes, neither side had found a breakthrough.
Then the match suddenly turned.
Flamarion scored for Pakhtakor in the 86th minute, putting the Uzbek club within touching distance of one of the opening round’s biggest results.
Al-Ahli had very little time left to respond.
They found it through a player increasingly associated with decisive continental moments.
Al-Brikan equalized seven minutes after Flamarion’s goal, giving the champions a point and preserving their unbeaten start to another Asian campaign.
The sequence matters because Al-Brikan has already demonstrated the ability to influence the matches carrying the greatest pressure.
In April, he came off the bench and scored six minutes into extra time as 10-man Al-Ahli defeated FC Machida Zelvia 1-0 in the 2026 AFC Champions League Elite final. The AFC’s official final report documented the goal that secured Al-Ahli’s second successive continental title.
Five months later, the circumstances were less glamorous but the need was familiar.
His team required a goal late.
Al-Brikan supplied it.
Who Scored in Al Ahli vs Pakhtakor?
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 |
| Result | Al-Ahli 1-1 Pakhtakor |
| Venue | King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah |
| Pakhtakor scorer | Flamarion, 86′ |
| Al-Ahli scorer | Feras Al-Brikan, 90+3′ |
| Al-Ahli coach | Marino Pušić |
| Al-Ahli status | Defending back-to-back champions |
Flamarion’s late goal threatened to change the tone around Al-Ahli’s opening continental night completely.
Instead, Al-Brikan ensured the discussion shifted from defeat to escape.
That does not make the draw an ideal result for the champions, especially at home. It does give Pušić something important to carry forward: his team continued pushing after conceding late rather than accepting the outcome.
Why Did Al Ahli Need Feras Al-Brikan Again?
Al-Brikan’s importance cannot be measured only through volume.
Timing has increasingly defined his continental contribution.
The winner against Machida Zelvia came deep into the 2026 final, after Al-Ahli had been reduced to 10 men. Monday’s equalizer arrived after Pakhtakor scored with only minutes remaining.
Those are the situations in which calm movement and finishing become especially valuable.
They also create something every successful tournament team eventually needs: trust in a player who has already survived the same pressure before.
Al-Ahli’s continental status has risen dramatically during the past two seasons. Their progression into a club expected to win internationally was also visible when they moved through the FIFA Intercontinental Cup pathway, which we examined after Al-Ahli moved two wins away from a possible meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.
Expectations have therefore changed.
A late equalizer against Pakhtakor can be welcomed for its resilience while still being viewed as points dropped at home.
What Has Changed at Al Ahli Under Marino Pusic?
The largest change is on the touchline.
Pušić inherited the Asian champions after Matthias Jaissle left Al-Ahli in August to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle United.
Jaissle’s departure ended the coaching partnership behind consecutive Asian titles. The Sports Encounter previously examined how Jaissle turned Al-Ahli into an Asian power before moving to Newcastle.
Pušić therefore inherited something more complicated than a talented squad.
He inherited a standard.
Al-Ahli are now judged against trophies they have already won, rather than the trophies they hope to win someday.
That creates an unusual challenge for a new coach. Tactical changes, squad adjustments and new relationships have to develop without the patience usually afforded to a rebuilding team.
Recent domestic results have underlined that tension.
Al-Ahli responded to earlier league defeats with a 5-0 victory over Al-Riyadh, but their inconsistency returned when Al-Qadsiah beat them 3-2 despite Ivan Toney’s second-half brace.
The Asian opener continued the same early-season pattern: enough quality to respond, but little room for comfort.
Can Al Ahli Win Three AFC Champions League Elite Titles in a Row?
That question will follow Al-Ahli through every round of this competition.
The AFC identified the three-peat pursuit before the Pakhtakor match, noting that the Saudi club are bidding to become the first side to lift the trophy in three consecutive editions.
Winning once changed Al-Ahli’s history.
Winning twice established dominance.
A third consecutive championship would move this group into a different historical conversation.
The challenge is also harder because the competition itself has expanded.
The 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite includes 32 teams, up from 24. Al-Ahli compete in the 16-team West league stage, where the first eight finishers advance to the Round of 16.
The expanded field brings more clubs into the tournament and increases the number of potential threats surrounding the defending champions.
Al-Ain remain one of the most intriguing. The UAE club won Asia in 2024 and will meet Al-Ahli during this league phase. Their continental preparation has developed alongside a demanding domestic season, including their recent 2-2 UAE Pro League draw with Al-Wasl.
The broader AFC Champions League Elite competition hub provides the official schedule, results and tournament updates throughout the campaign.
What Does the Al Ahli 1-1 Pakhtakor Result Mean for the AFC Champions League Elite?
One point in September does not decide a continental championship.
It can still reveal the pressure awaiting the title holders.
Every opponent now plays Al-Ahli with evidence of what beating them would mean. Consecutive championships have effectively placed a target on the Saudi club before every match.
Pakhtakor came within stoppage time of landing the first major blow.
The draw also reinforced how competitive the West region could become.
Al-Ittihad needed a late Georginio Wijnaldum goal to draw 1-1 with Al-Shamal on the same opening night, while Al-Qadsiah defeated Al-Wasl 2-1. Shabab Al-Ahli beat Tractor 1-0, and Esteghlal opened with a 3-0 victory over Al-Sadd.
Saudi clubs are entering this competition from an increasingly competitive domestic environment as well. The early Saudi Pro League season has already produced shifting momentum among Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah, while Saudi football’s continuing ownership transformation is reshaping the clubs away from the field.
Al-Ahli have more immediate concerns.
They escaped the first night with a point.
Now Pušić has to make sure needing a late rescue does not become a recurring feature of the title defense.
Why the Al Ahli vs Pakhtakor Draw Matters Beyond One Point
The easiest interpretation is that Al-Ahli dropped two home points.
The more useful interpretation comes from looking at the player who prevented them from dropping all three.
Al-Brikan scored the goal that delivered the 2026 Asian title.
He has now scored the goal that prevented the 2026/27 defense from beginning with defeat.
Those goals belong to different stages of different tournaments, but they reveal the same quality: when Al-Ahli’s margin for error disappears, Al-Brikan keeps appearing.
The champions will need far more than late rescues if they want a third straight trophy.
Yet champions also need players who can change a result after the original plan has failed.
Al-Ahli already know they have one.
For continuing Asian, Saudi and international football coverage, visit The Sports Encounter Soccer hub.
Continue the AFC Champions League Story
Frequently Asked Questions About Al Ahli vs Pakhtakor
What was the Al Ahli vs Pakhtakor score?
Al-Ahli drew 1-1 with Pakhtakor in their opening AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 league-stage match in Jeddah.
Who scored for Al Ahli against Pakhtakor?
Feras Al-Brikan scored Al-Ahli’s equalizer in stoppage time, finding the net in the 93rd minute.
Who scored for Pakhtakor against Al Ahli?
Flamarion scored for Pakhtakor in the 86th minute before Al-Brikan equalized seven minutes later.
Where was Al Ahli vs Pakhtakor played?
The match was played at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Are Al Ahli the defending AFC Champions League Elite champions?
Yes. Al-Ahli won the competition in 2025 and successfully defended the title in 2026.
Can Al Ahli win three AFC Champions League titles in a row?
Yes. Al-Ahli are attempting to become the first club in the modern competition era to win three consecutive editions of Asia’s premier club tournament.
Who is Al Ahli coach Marino Pusic?
Marino Pušić took charge of Al-Ahli after Matthias Jaissle left the Saudi club in August 2026 to become Newcastle United head coach.
How many teams qualify from the AFC Champions League Elite league stage?
The 2026/27 competition has 16 teams in each regional league stage. The top eight clubs from the West and the top eight from the East advance to the Round of 16.
When are the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 knockout rounds?
The Round of 16 is scheduled for March 2027, while the quarterfinals, semifinals and final will be played in a centralized format in Saudi Arabia from April 23 to May 1.
Al-Ahli
- Feras Al-Brikan Rescues Al-Ahli as Asian Three-Peat Chase Opens With a Warning
- Toney Brace Transforms Early Al Hazem Shock Into Al Ahli’s 3-1 Saudi Pro League Triumph
- Reijnders Brace Lifts Al Qadsiah Past Al Ahli 3-2 as Title Push Gathers Force
- Saudi Pro League: Al Ahli Hit Five, Al Hilal Keep Winning and Al Qadsiah Stay in the Hunt
- Al-Hilal 3-0 Al-Ahli: Watkins Scores as Demiral Red Card Deepens Statement Win
