AFC Champions League Elite
Centre-back Koulibaly was - as were his teammates - flawless as the side from Korea Republic struggled to cope with Al Hilal's attacking strength with seven different players finding the back of the net.
Koulibaly, who played for Chelsea and Napoli prior to joining Al Hilal in 2023, was pleased with how quickly Al Hilal - chasing a fifth title - started with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic giving them the lead in the sixth minute.
"We knew that we were up against a very good team," said the 33-year-old. "The key was to score first and we did it.
"After, it was easier for us but - having said that - not as easy as everyone thinks because of the 7-0 score as we needed to remain concentrated. It's good for our confidence but we have to continue to work.”
#ACLElite | Quarter-finals : Al Hilal SFC (KSA) 7 - 0 Gwangju FC (KOR)
Up next will either be local rivals Al Ahli Saudi FC or Thailand’s Buriram United with the Senegalese international Koulibaly saying the title can be won if Al Hilal remain calm and focused.
"We are motivated. We know it's a big objective for us. We know it's going to be difficult because there are a lot of good teams."
“This was just the first game and we won it. We have to work towards the second game. We know it's going to be difficult if we want to win this trophy.
"We have to win three games, the first is gone and now we have to be focused on the coming games to reach our objective."
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