Baghdad Bounedjah reaches 30 AFC Champions League goals as Al Shamal make history

Baghdad Bounedjah opened the scoring for Al Shamal against Al-Ittihad to register the first AFC Champions League Elite goal in the Qatari club’s history.

Al-Ittihad visited Al Shamal on Monday at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor in the opening round of the competition’s league phase.

Bounedjah put Al Shamal ahead in the 63rd minute after receiving a low pass inside the Al-Ittihad penalty area. The Algeria striker struck the ball with his left foot and, after it deflected off the defence, it ended up in the net behind Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.

The goal was significant for both Bounedjah and Al Shamal. It was the club’s first goal in the history of the AFC Champions League Elite, scored in its first appearance in the competition.

It also ended a wait of almost three years for Bounedjah, who had not scored in the Asian competition since 4 December 2023. His previous goal came while playing for his former club Al Sadd in a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi in the eighth round of the league phase.

The strike against Al-Ittihad was Bounedjah’s 30th goal in the AFC Champions League. He had scored his previous 29 goals for Al Sadd, beginning with the 2018 edition.

Bounedjah joined Al Shamal’s attack after his spell with Al Sadd, where he established himself as one of the leading scorers in the Asian competition. His latest goal ensured that Al Shamal’s debut in the AFC Champions League Elite was marked by a landmark moment.