Ko Morahashi was not exactly looking forward to the journey back home to Tokyo anyway. After all, it took 22 hours to get to Jeddah in the first place, so any excuse to delay the return leg.
As it turns out, the excuse is a very good one. The side he has come to support, Machida Zelvia, are through to Saturday’s AFC Champions League Elite final against the mighty Al Ahli Saudi of Riyad Mahrez, Ivan Toney et al.
It is the biggest game in Asian club football. So that return flight can wait.
“It is amazing,” Morahashi said, after his side’s nerve-shredding 1-0 win over Dubai’s Shabab Al Ahli in Tuesday night’s semi-final.
“I haven’t bought the return flight to Japan because only once Zelvia lose will I go home. I wasn’t thinking they would reach the final. I am very happy that I am now staying here.
“Zelvia is a baby team. In 2024, they went to J1, the top league in Japan. In all this time we have only won one title. If we can win this match [against Al Ahli] it will be two titles.
“The big teams in Tokyo have had many years in J1; for Machida, it is only two years. It’s incredible. If they could become Asian champions … wow, I haven’t got words to describe it. I never thought this could happen.”
When Morahashi says his side’s run to the top of Asian football is “incredible”, he is not blinded by loyalty. Machida’s journey is a sporting fairytale on any objective measure.
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Shabab Al Ahli AFC saw their 2026 Champions League Elite dreams ended after losing 1-0 to Machida Zelvia in the semi-finals at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah. Getty Images -
Furious Shabab Al Ahli players surround referee Shaun Evans after Guilherme Bala's late goal was disallowed following a controversial VAR call. Getty Images -
Shabab Al Ahli react with fury after Guilherme Bala's late goal was disallowed. Getty Images -
Shabab Al Ahli's Guilherme Bala celebrates with Matevsao Lima only for his superb late goal to be disallowed following a dubious VAR call. Getty Images -
Shabab Al Ahli manager Paulo Sousa during the game in Jeddah. Getty Images -
Yuki Soma celebrates after scoring for Machida Zelvia. Getty Images -
Shaba Al Ahli goalkeeper Hamad Almeqbaali makes a save in Jeddah. Getty Images -
Guilherme Bala of Shabab Al Ahli controls the ball during the match in Jeddah. Getty Images -
Machida Zelvia's Yuki Soma finishes past Shaba Al Ahli goalkeeper Hamad Almeqbaali to put the Japanese side into an early lead. Getty Images -
Shabab Al Ahli's Sultan Adil makes a point during the match against FC Machida Zelvia. Getty Images -
Yuki Soma celebrates after scoring for Machida Zelvia after 12 minutes. Getty Images -
A small band of Machida Zelvia fans make their presence felt at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium. Getty Images -
The Machida Zelvia and Shabab Al Ahli players line-up prior to the AFC Champions League semi-final match at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium. Getty Images -
The Shabab Al Ahli starting XI before the game against Machida Zelvia in Jeddah. Getty Images
Representing a town of around 400,000 people within the wider metropolis of Tokyo, Machida’s home ground has capacity for around 15,000 supporters.
That is more than enough space for a club who has spent almost all of its 37 year existence outside of the top tier of Japanese football.
Their circumstances changed three years ago, when they made a left-field appointment as their new head coach.
Rather than anyone with professional experience, they picked Go Kuroda. At that stage, he was 52 years old, and had spent 28 years coaching the same high school football team. Admittedly, he had had great success, turning his provincial school team into national champions multiple times.
His effect on Machida was instant. In 2023, they were promoted from the second tier of Japanese professional football to J-League 1 for the first time.
In their debut top-flight season, they finished third, which qualified them for the AFC Champions League Elite – the continent’s top club competition – for the first time.
Last November, they picked up their first major honour when they beat Vissel Kobe in the Emperor’s Cup final.
Coincidentally, Vissel also made it to the final phase of the Champions League. They lost in the semi-final to Al Ahli, the side who now stand between Machida and the perfect conclusion to the fairytale.
It stands to reason Kuroda is beloved by the fans, given the transformation he has overseen. Morahashi wears his admiration for the coach in the form of a wrist-band bearing Kuroda’s name.
“He was high school champion so many times, so he was very, very famous, but had no pro career as a manager,” Morahashi said.
“When he was appointed, everyone thought, ‘Really? Can he do it?’ But in the third year, he is here. It is incredible.”
Japanese sides have featured in each of the past four AFC Champions League Elite finals – Urawa Red Diamonds, Yokohama F Marinos, Kawasaki Frontale and now Machida.
In the three previous editions, the away supporters have travelled in impressive numbers. Although their noise has been vast, Machida’s travelling fans have been heavily outnumbered by security staff at the matches so far in Saudi Arabia.
“Approximately 50 fans and supporters came all the way from Machida to cheer us on, and we are deeply grateful for their continued support,” Kuroda said.
“We also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the many supporters, fans, and supporters in our hometown of Machida who are cheering us on through public viewings.
“We will continue to prepare thoroughly for the final. We want to become champions, we will all unite and continue to take on the challenge.”
Machida’s catchment area and their top-flight pedigree may be small compared to some of the other J-League sides, including their neighbours in Tokyo.
But the Iran war has also put off many from travelling to the region for the finals. For example, only one journalist has travelled to cover the Finals, despite the involvement of two Japanese sides.
The journey to get to Jeddah has been a roundabout one. In Morahashi’s case, it included a connection in Ethiopia.
“Machida is small, and there are relatively few fans because their time in J1 has only been small, but it is increasing and increasing,” Morahashi said.
“We have not been able to fly over that airspace, so our flight took us via Addis Ababa. It was 22 hours, so long, when a direct flight would have been 12.
“But this tournament is the first time [in the Champions League Elite finals] for Machida, so we had to be here. If it wasn’t for the war, so many more fans would have come.”
