Mohammed Abbas scored in the 12th minute for United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain.
But the hosts' Asahi Uenaka levelled midway through the second half, before substitute Kota Watanabe grabbed the winner six minutes from time at the Yokohama International Stadium.
Kewell and Crespo were meeting as coaches almost 20 years after facing each other as players in the Uefa Champions League final in Istanbul.
Crespo was part of the AC Milan side who took a 3-0 half-time lead before Kewell's Liverpool famously came back to draw 3-3 and then win on penalties in 2005.
Kewell knows that anything can happen in football and he warned his players to stay switched on for the second leg in the UAE in a fortnight.
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Esta historia es de la edición May 12, 2024 de The Straits Times.
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