JEDDAH, April 23 (Reuters) - After three decades as a high school teacher, Machida Zelvia coach Go Kuroda will try to crown a fairytale rise on Saturday when his side take on big-spending defending champions Al-Ahli in the final of the Asian Champions League Elite.
The 55-year-old has experienced an astonishing late-career journey since leaving Aomori Yamada High School to take over as Machida coach in October 2022, guiding the club from the lower reaches of Japan's second tier to the showpiece clash in Jeddah.
More than three years after his move into the professional game, Kuroda will face his toughest test yet against a Saudi Pro League side that boasts globally recognised names such as Riyad Mahrez, Ivan Toney and Franck Kessie.
"I was a teacher in high school for 30 years and we won the All Japan tournament, so I managed to create a top football team in high school," Kuroda said.
"Then I was given this opportunity. Of course it was to do with the football. But my priority is to organise the team.
"Team management is my forte and I have been doing this for ages. On top of that we have built the technical aspects of the team. Football is the same in high school and professional football.
"This is sport, whether it's at the professional level or not."
Based in a working class dormitory town on Tokyo's southern fringe, Machida Zelvia have undergone a major transformation since Kuroda was plucked from the country's high school scene after winning three national titles to invigorate the club.
The team had finished 15th in Japan's second division in 2022 but, bolstered by the financial heft of online entertainment conglomerate CyberAgent and Kuroda's organisational skills, Machida started their ascent.
By the end of the first season, Kuroda had led the club to the second division title while 12 months later Machida finished third in the top flight to qualify for the Asian Champions League Elite.
Kuroda then delivered the club's first major trophy in 2025 when Machida won the prestigious Emperor's Cup before embarking on their run to the continental final.
Machida topped the eastern league phase of the competition in February before securing single-goal wins over Gangwon FC in the last 16, Al-Ittihad in the quarter-finals and Shabab Al-Ahli in the semi-finals to stand on the cusp of an historic success.
"To keep a clean sheet is our motto," Kuroda said after his side's latest 1-0 win set up the meeting with Al-Ahli in the final. "We managed to achieve that and that gave us confidence."
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Toby Davis)
