Moroccan attacker Soufiane Rahimi has eclipsed Ghanaian football icon Asamoah Gyan as Al Ain’s highest scorer in Asian club competition.
The 30-year-old reached 19 goals for the United Arab Emirates side after finding the net during Al Ain’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Al Nassr in the opening round of the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday, September 15.
Rahimi struck in the 72nd minute to move beyond Gyan and former Al Ain midfielder Omar Abdulrahman, who had each recorded 18 goals in the continental tournament.
His contribution came during a dominant performance from Al Ain.
Rahimi’s younger sibling, Houssine, scored twice, while Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis completed the rout with a late effort in the 84th minute.
The result gave Al Ain an impressive beginning to their campaign following their absence from the previous edition of the competition.
Asamoah Gyan represented the Emirati club between 2011 and 2015 and established himself as one of its most productive forwards in continental football.
The former Black Stars skipper enjoyed a particularly outstanding 2014 campaign, finishing that edition as the competition’s leading scorer.
The Ghanaian also delivered notable displays in the knockout rounds, including a two-goal performance against Al Jazira.
Gyan departed Al Ain having registered 18 AFC Champions League goals, a record that stood for years before Rahimi’s latest strike moved him into sole possession of the club’s continental scoring record
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong