Soufiane Rahimi Rewrites Al Ain History in AFC Champions League

Soufiane Rahimi did not just score in Asia again. He rewrote a chapter of Al Ain history.

On a charged night at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, the Moroccan forward struck in a 4-0 demolition of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite opener, a goal that carried far more weight than the scoreboard suggested. It was his 19th for Al Ain in Asian club competitions, pushing him clear as the club’s all-time leading scorer on the continent.

Rahimi steps out of Gyan’s shadow

Rahimi walked onto the pitch on Tuesday locked on 18 Asian goals, level with two giants of Al Ain’s modern era: Asamoah Gyan and Omar Abdulrahman. By full-time, that deadlock was gone.

One clean finish against Al Nassr, and the 30-year-old moved into outright first place. Nineteen goals. One clear of Gyan. One clear of Abdulrahman. The record now sits with a player very much in his prime.

For years, Gyan’s tally had been the benchmark. The Ghanaian striker, who lit up the UAE during a prolific spell with Al Ain, either held or shared the record for what felt like an age. Abdulrahman, the club’s homegrown icon, stood alongside him on that list, a symbol of Al Ain’s golden years in Asia.

Now both watch from the outside. Gyan has retired from professional football, Abdulrahman has moved on, and Rahimi carries the scoring mantle alone.

A new leader for a new Al Ain

Rahimi’s rise has not been sudden. Season by season, match by match, he has become the reference point for Al Ain’s continental ambitions. His goals helped drive the Emirati side to the AFC Champions League title in the 2023/24 campaign, restoring the club to the summit of Asian football.

This latest strike underlined just how central he has become. Against Al Nassr, Al Ain did not simply win; they overwhelmed a star-studded opponent. A 4-0 scoreline in an Elite stage opener sends a clear message: Al Ain are not satisfied with one continental crown.

Rahimi sits at the heart of that intent. With the AFC Champions League Elite campaign only just under way, the gap between him and the chasing pack in the club’s record books feels likely to grow. Every game offers another chance to stretch his lead, to turn a broken record into one that may stand for a generation.

Gyan’s mark once defined what was possible for an Al Ain forward in Asia. Rahimi has pushed that line forward. The question now is not whether anyone can catch Gyan.

It is how far Rahimi can run with this.