Morocco attacker Soufiane Rahimi scores brace as Al Ain thrash Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya

Moroccan international Soufiane Rahimi delivered an outstanding performance for Al Ain, scoring twice to inspire the Emirati side to a commanding 4–1 victory over Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the second round of the AFC Champions League Elite’s West Zone group stage on Monday.

The forward played a decisive role in Al Ain’s emphatic away triumph, finding the back of the net twice in the first half to help his side secure maximum points and maintain their impressive start to the continental campaign.

Al Ain made their intentions clear early in the encounter, with Alejandro Romero, popularly known as Kaku, opening the scoring in the 13th minute. The visitors doubled their advantage five minutes later when Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya defender Saad Al-Rousan inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.

Rahimi then took centre stage, capitalising on Al Ain’s attacking momentum to extend their advantage. The Moroccan forward scored in the 23rd minute before completing his brace in the 43rd minute, putting the visitors firmly in control before the break.

The two goals further underlined Rahimi’s importance to Al Ain, with the Moroccan international once again demonstrating his ability to make a decisive impact in crucial continental fixtures.

Rahimi appeared to have completed his hat-trick in the 50th minute when he found the net again, but his effort was ruled out for offside following a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Despite being denied a third goal, the forward had already done enough to help Al Ain establish a commanding lead and put the Iraqi hosts under considerable pressure.

The match also featured Rahimi’s brother, Houcine Rahimi, as the Moroccan siblings contributed to Al Ain’s presence on the continental stage.

The emphatic victory means Al Ain have collected six points from their opening two matches in the West Zone group, moving to the top of the standings after beginning their campaign with an impressive 4–0 win over Saudi Arabian giants Al-Nassr.

Their back-to-back victories have given the Emirati club an encouraging start as they seek to maintain their momentum in the competition.

For Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, however, the defeat represents another setback. The Iraqi side remain without a point after losing their opening two matches, leaving them sixth in the standings as they seek to revive their campaign.

Al Ain will now turn their attention to their next assignment against Iranian side Tractor on October 26, with Rahimi expected to remain a key figure as the club continues its pursuit of success in the AFC Champions League Elite.