History was made on Saturday at the Wuhan Sports Centre when Wuhan Jiangda etched their name into the annals of football by claiming the inaugural AFC Women's Champions League title.
In front of a roaring home crowd in central China's Hubei Province, the hosts locked horns with Australia's Melbourne City in a final that ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time.
Melbourne took the lead in the 76th minute when Leticia McKenna's free kick found Shelby McMahon, whose header beat the goalkeeper.
Just as the hosts seemed headed for defeat, a dramatic twist arrived in the 94th minute. A long ball into the box deflected off a Melbourne defender, leading to a VAR review and a penalty award for a handball. Midfielder Wang Shuang stepped up to slam home the equaliser.
With the score still deadlocked, the final went to penalties. Both teams scored their first four spot kicks before Wuhan's Zhao Yuxin curled the fifth into the top corner to make it 5-4. Goalkeeper Chen Chen then dived to save Rebekah Stott's attempt, sealing the trophy for the hosts.
The victory not only brought Wuhan Jiangda a $1 million prize but also booked their place in the 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup. Fans across Asia and beyond celebrated as this thrilling finale underscored the rapid rise of women's club football.
Reference(s):
Wuhan edge Melbourne to win first AFC Women's Champions League title
cgtn.com
