Melbourne City young star Shelby McMahon has praised her teammates following her match-winning strike which saw City cement their spot in the first ever AFC Women’s Champions League Final.
The youngest player in the tournament, 17-year-old McMahon stepped up when it mattered most, firing a lethal strike into the top corner deep into stoppage time.
Following the Semi-Final, the midfielder reflected on the historic moment.
“It was pretty crazy,” McMahon said. “I don’t usually shoot from back there, so I heard the girl shout, shoot, shoot! So I had to give it a crack.”
“You know, in the last couple of minutes, it’s pretty cool.”
In what’s been a historic campaign for City, including an unbeaten 2024/25 A-League Women’s regular season, the youngster spoke about the reward for effort.
“We’ve worked so hard all year,” she said. “You know, we came in early, we worked hard for the group stage. We worked hard all season. I’m just so proud of the girls.”
“We did everyone back in Australia proud and shown that we are here on the international stage. We’re in for it, so it’s pretty cool.”
In extremely hot and humid conditions, City overcame a resilient Hyundai Steel Red Angels side in Wuhan to book their spot in the Final.
“It was definitely tough,” McMahon said. “Some of the hottest conditions we’ve played in in a while, but the girls stuck in.”
“We worked when we needed to work, and we got across the line really well. I’m so proud of them all.”
City will now face Chinese powerhouse Wuhan Jiangda in the AFC Women’s Champions League Final on Saturday night at Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium, kick-off 10:00pm AEST. The Final will be broadcast live and free via 10play.
