Chaos erupted in the closing moments of the AFC Champions League Elite semifinal as Shabab Al Ahli saw a 92nd-minute equalizer controversially overturned, handing Japanese debutants Machida Zelvia a 1-0 victory and a spot in the final.

With Shabab Al Ahli trailing 1-0 in stoppage time, Guilherme Bala produced a stunning 40-yard solo run and finish that seemed to send the tie into extra time. However, referee Shaun Evans was called to the VAR monitor for a bizarre reason: a substitution error.

The goal was disallowed because Shabab Al Ahli had restarted play from a throw-in while Machida’s Hotaka Nakamura was still technically on the pitch, and his replacement, Henry Heroki Mochizuki, was entering.

The controversy centers on whether referee Shaun Evans actually gave the “green light” for the restart.

• The Conflict: Reports suggest Evans blew his whistle to force the game to continue (possibly to prevent time-wasting by the Japanese side).
• The Fallout: Because the substitution wasn’t “complete,” VAR deemed the restart illegal, leading to the goal being struck off.

At the final whistle, police were required to escort the Australian officiating team off the pitch as they were surrounded by furious Shabab Al Ahli players.

Shabab Al Ahli head coach Paulo Sousa did not hold back in his post-match comments:

“This is a very technical mistake by the referee. Unfortunately, this is what is turning football into rubble. We deserved to be in the final.”

Lost in the controversy is the remarkable rise of Machida Zelvia. Having played in Japan’s second tier as recently as 2023, they have reached the final of Asia’s premier club competition in their very first appearance. They will now face Al Ahli (led by Ivan Toney) in Saturday’s final.