Tijjani Reijnders Shines in Al-Qadsiah Victory Against Al-Ahli

Tijjani Reijnders is wasting no time justifying his price tag in Saudi Arabia.

The Netherlands midfielder, Al-Qadsiah’s record signing, delivered a ruthless brace in a statement performance against Al-Ahli on Tuesday in the sixth round of the Roshn League at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam.

He didn’t ease his way into the contest. He ripped it open.

On 14 minutes, Reijnders picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a fierce drive that flew beyond Édouard Mendy, the Al-Ahli and Senegal goalkeeper, to put Al-Qadsiah in front. One touch to set, one swing to punish. Clinical.

As Al-Ahli tried to regroup, Al-Qadsiah kept coming. The pressure told again right at the end of the first half. Deep into stoppage time, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat swung in a cross and Reijnders timed his run perfectly, rising to guide a header home for his side’s third of the night. A thunderbolt, then a poacher’s finish. Same player, different weapons.

That double took him to three goals for Al-Qadsiah since his arrival from Manchester City in the last summer transfer window. His first had already arrived early in the campaign, in just his second appearance, during a composed 2-0 victory over Neom in the third round of the Roshn League.

The contrast with his start in England is stark. At Manchester City last season, Reijnders needed four matches to find the net once, scoring against Wolverhampton on the opening weekend of the Premier League. In Saudi Arabia, he has hit stride far quicker, his influence growing with every outing.

The expectations were always going to be heavy. Reijnders remains the most expensive signing in Al-Qadsiah’s history, brought in from Manchester City for a reported 61 million euros. Performances like this, on a big domestic stage against a major opponent, suggest he is starting to carry that weight like it was always his.