Soufiane Rahimi Breaks Al Ain Scoring Record Against Al Nassr
Soufiane Rahimi has written his name above Asamoah Gyan’s in Al Ain’s continental history – and he did it on a night when everything clicked for the Emirati champions.
The Moroccan forward struck in a ruthless 4-0 dismantling of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in their AFC Champions League Elite opener at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, a goal that carried more weight than just the scoreline. It was his 19th in Asian club competition for Al Ain, lifting him clear as the club’s all-time leading scorer on the continent.
Rahimi steps out of Gyan’s shadow
Rahimi walked into the tie level on 18 goals with two giants of Al Ain’s modern era: Asamoah Gyan and Omar Abdulrahman. One more was all he needed.
He got it against the biggest name on the pitch.
That finish against Al Nassr nudged him to 19 and broke a record Gyan had held or shared for years. The Ghanaian striker’s exploits, during a prolific spell in the UAE, had long set the standard for what an Al Ain forward should deliver in Asia. Abdulrahman, the club’s homegrown maestro, had matched that tally but has since moved on.
Now the record belongs to Rahimi alone.
His total now sits above two of the most celebrated figures in Al Ain’s continental story, a symbolic passing of the torch from a retired Ghana captain and a departed playmaker to the 30-year-old Moroccan who refuses to stop scoring.
The new face of Al Ain in Asia
Rahimi’s rise has not been sudden. Over recent seasons he has steadily become the heartbeat of Al Ain’s Asian campaigns, driving their attacks and carrying their ambitions far beyond the UAE’s borders.
He played a central role in the club’s run to continental glory in the 2023/24 season, and his influence has only grown since. The authority of Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Al Nassr underlined that Al Ain are not just defending champions in name; they look every inch a serious contender again.
With the AFC Champions League Elite campaign only just underway, Rahimi now has an open road to stretch his lead at the top of the club’s Asian scoring charts. Every knockout tie, every group-stage test, becomes another chance to push the record into territory that may take years to touch.
For a long time, Gyan’s mark was the benchmark, a reminder of how high Al Ain once climbed. Rahimi has turned that benchmark into a stepping stone. The question now is not whether anyone will catch Gyan.
It’s how far Rahimi can pull away.
