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Abdullah Ali Mosabbah of A Ain club fights for the ball with Therdsak Chaiman of Thailand's Tero Sasana club. AFP
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Then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, second left, and UAE Chief of Staff Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, left, smile as they pose with Emirati players of Al Ain as they hold up the Asian Champions League title, upon their arrival from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi airport on October 12, 2003. AFP
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Emirati citizens celebrate with the players of Al Ain. AFP
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Al Ain player Salem Jawhar Salmeen, centre, celebrates with the trophy during the AFC Champions League final, second leg in Bangkok, October 11, 2003. Al Ain beat BEC Tero Sasana 2-1 on aggregate. AFP
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Al Ain's coach Bruno Metsu, centre, celebrates with players during the AFC Champions League final. AFP
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Fahad Ali Musabah and Abdulla Ali Musabbeh of Al Ain celebrate after the final whistle. AFP
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BEC Tero's Worrawoot Srimaka, right, battles for the ball with Al Ain's Kadjo Julien Afanou. AFP
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Sakchai Yuntasri of BEC Tero Sasana is checked by Mohammed Omar of Al Ain during the second leg. AFP
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Emirati players Ali Ahmad Ali, left, and Ali Rashed Abdullah, centre, congratulate their goalkeeper Waleed Salem, right, after the victory against Tero Sasana in Al Ain on October 3, 2003. Al Ain beat Sasana, 2-0. AFP
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Emirati players Mohammad Omar and Farhad Majidi of Al Ain celebrate after the first leg. AFP
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Mohammad Omar of Al Ain club jumps for the ball with Thai defender Witthaya Nubthong. left, of Tero Sasana. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S2HHFNO5L2R6PQX5YMPBQVHTV4.jpg?smart=true&auth=9cf0d9f29d7699668016e01066e10b6760af9a8b8d40b7cb2f5b627e1356b302&width=400&height=225)
Abdullah Ali Mosabbah of A Ain club fights for the ball with Therdsak Chaiman of Thailand's Tero Sasana club. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XL7EZ66TI27LQOEQN3IJU4TDBY.jpg?smart=true&auth=419da3c60bcc37d1b357ef3052d4125d74ba46c80af43a5ac94259408972d85f&width=400&height=225)
Then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, second left, and UAE Chief of Staff Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, left, smile as they pose with Emirati players of Al Ain as they hold up the Asian Champions League title, upon their arrival from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi airport on October 12, 2003. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KDEXALP2G5X6RYWS53SSZPTLV4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f12502867366a8f66440ba753cfec19d6eef6ee7ba02092d6926eb5dcbd9902d&width=400&height=225)
Emirati citizens celebrate with the players of Al Ain. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/U5XG6ZUQ7DUMN75PAS2VLHZVSU.jpg?smart=true&auth=5daa48d16322675997c4961f9154c874968fb1fddbc893be6fe401b73a1f786b&width=400&height=225)
Al Ain player Salem Jawhar Salmeen, centre, celebrates with the trophy during the AFC Champions League final, second leg in Bangkok, October 11, 2003. Al Ain beat BEC Tero Sasana 2-1 on aggregate. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZRZPXPMZWW5LFMJOYRC6DSTLJE.jpg?smart=true&auth=b82388c88e75e44c4aac85b24a44abb48ab28fcfa017674758495bd83431ba19&width=400&height=225)
Al Ain's coach Bruno Metsu, centre, celebrates with players during the AFC Champions League final. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IDVXRPG3REKZMI5WBUWZ3HYDDY.jpg?smart=true&auth=38eb0c1cdeca8ab38a471e52ad165ada8024d3425c2385676f88bff2879b13e7&width=400&height=225)
Fahad Ali Musabah and Abdulla Ali Musabbeh of Al Ain celebrate after the final whistle. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CZWASVQJYP3VH62MTULJSOPVDQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fe75717d9240f06b92483d9ba2ba6744b16581becf7c1b8afc06dd14a29c05ba&width=400&height=225)
BEC Tero's Worrawoot Srimaka, right, battles for the ball with Al Ain's Kadjo Julien Afanou. AFP
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Sakchai Yuntasri of BEC Tero Sasana is checked by Mohammed Omar of Al Ain during the second leg. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2OBZ6YJ6XO3SF7LAO42GMVWZOU.jpg?smart=true&auth=b05667bed610886e82e38ea727cb7373003a3aa9c719f0f524909bdc0c15b67f&width=400&height=225)
Emirati players Ali Ahmad Ali, left, and Ali Rashed Abdullah, centre, congratulate their goalkeeper Waleed Salem, right, after the victory against Tero Sasana in Al Ain on October 3, 2003. Al Ain beat Sasana, 2-0. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LLCZD2HBQ22WSP3AAG7YVSQ3SM.jpg?smart=true&auth=8702146bafd921c3e007bf80ef4a9236c28424a66245d748feb97d0bb489afb2&width=400&height=225)
Emirati players Mohammad Omar and Farhad Majidi of Al Ain celebrate after the first leg. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SYDZ2LD3ERHTXFL3MI7DRX22S4.jpg?smart=true&auth=82f0f62391f14d0ad8552e028820cd6b56ee51037b22311b363f25368bca54b4&width=400&height=225)
Mohammad Omar of Al Ain club jumps for the ball with Thai defender Witthaya Nubthong. left, of Tero Sasana. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S2HHFNO5L2R6PQX5YMPBQVHTV4.jpg?smart=true&auth=9cf0d9f29d7699668016e01066e10b6760af9a8b8d40b7cb2f5b627e1356b302&width=400&height=225)
Abdullah Ali Mosabbah of A Ain club fights for the ball with Therdsak Chaiman of Thailand's Tero Sasana club. AFP
UAE great sporting moments - No 20: Al Ain become kings of the continent with Asian Champions League triumph
Garden City club beat BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand 2-1 on aggregate in 2003 final
![John McAuley](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F42fdb821-a1ba-456f-980a-444e78c14d20.png?smart=true&auth=e06a33d0c3a9b91f69d2f6f0423c3e38ec6692b751de87539e969acaa5c3893f&width=70&height=70)
John McAuley
05 July, 2020
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