Elkeson turns on the magic for Guangzhou Evergrande to clinch their second AFC Champions League crown
Brazilian's super strike breaks the deadlock against Al Ahli as Chinese club secure title and qualify for the Club World Cup in Japan next month
A moment of magic from Brazil's Elkeson earned China's Guangzhou Evergrande their second AFC Champions League title in three years last night after a tense second leg of their final against Al Ahli.
The striker's instinctive turn and toe-poke on 54 minutes finally unlocked the Emirati team's defence to earn a 1-0 win for Luiz Felipe Scolari's side after the first leg in Dubai ended goalless.
The victory was wildly celebrated at a packed Tianhe stadium - with more than 50,000 in the stands - erupting with delight.
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The 2013 champions, who won a fifth consecutive Chinese title three weeks ago, will now represent Asia at the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan next month after coach Scolari extended his unbeaten run to 23 matches since taking charge in June.
It was also a personal victory for Scolari, who led Brazil to a humiliating 7-1 defeat to Germany in last year's World Cup semi-finals.
The 2002 Brazilian World Cup-winning coach owed yesterday's triumph to his compatriot Elkeson, a player whose position in the squad came under threat when Scolari signed former Real Madrid forward Robinho in July.
Scolari, though, opted for Elkeson, who had suffered injury problems this year, over Robinho as one of his four foreigners in the Champions League squad and the forward rewarded the coach's decision with a man-of-the-match display.