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28 March 2024

Western Sydney Wanderers give Australia AFC Champions League title

Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers celebrate after winning the second leg of the AFC Champions League 2014 football final with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal at the King Fahad stadium in Riyadh, on November 1, 2014. (AFP)

Published
By Agencies

Australia hailed Western Sydney Wanderers' remarkable rise from new club to AFC Champions League winners in only two years after they became the first side from the country to win the Asian title Sunday.

Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers footballer Antony Golic celebrates after winning the second leg of the AFC Champions League 2014 football final with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal at the King Fahad stadium in Riyadh, on November 1, 2014.   (AFP)

Some 5,000 joyous Wanderers fans watched the game on a giant screen in their heartland of Parramatta and celebrated the club's 1-0 aggregate win over Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in Riyadh in style.

(AFP)


Fans hugged each other and set off red flares as the Wanderers held on for a 0-0 draw after winning the home leg 1-0 to clinch the Asian club title in only their third season.

Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers celebrate with their coach Tony Popvic after winning the second leg of the AFC Champions League 2014 football final with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal at the King Fahad stadium in Riyadh, on November 1, 2014.   (AFP)

The triumph was hailed as "the greatest result in Australian club football history".

Fans of Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers hold Australian flags during a match against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League final football match at King Fahad stadium in Riyadh city on November 1, 2014.  (AFP)

"They've done it. Western Sydney Wanderers have achieved the seemingly impossible to become the first Australian champions of Asia," The Sydney Morning Herald trumpeted.

 

Australia's head coach Michael Cheika smiles after Australia won the Killik Cup by winning the Autumn Test rugby union match between Barbarians and Australia at Twickenham Stadium, West London, on November 1, 2014. (AFP)

The Daily Telegraph said: "From a twinkle in Australian football's eye to champions of Asia in less than three years. The incredible story of the Western Sydney Wanderers has its finest chapter to date.

 Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers Tomi Juric kisses the trophy after winning the second leg of the AFC Champions League 2014 football final with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal at the King Fahad stadium in Riyadh, on November 1, 2014.   (AFP)

The Guardian Australia described it as "surely the football story of the year".


Nikolai Topor-Stanley (L) and Brendan Hamill (C) of Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers celebrate winning their second-leg soccer match of the Asian Champions League final against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh November 1, 2014. (REUTERS)

Twitter went into meltdown with users clamouring to express their praise for Western Sydney.
SBS television football commentator Craig Foster tweeted: "Simply extraordinary! Congratulations to Tony (Popovic), his team, the club & fans. This is a story for the ages!!"

  (AP)

Another tweeted: "Wanderers and Poppa (Tony Popovic) incredible result! Now it's over to you Ange (Postecoglou)and the budding Roos! Make us even prouder at home in the Asian Cup!!"

 

(AP)



Italian great Alessandro Del Piero, who spent two seasons in the A-League with Sydney FC, tweeted: "Congratulations @wawanderersfc winner of the 2014 @afcasiancup a great result for Australian football (soccer) continuing it's growth."