Tijjani Reijnders Shines with Brace for Al-Qadsiah

Tijjani Reijnders is wasting no time justifying the price tag.

The Netherlands midfielder, Al-Qadsiah’s record signing, delivered a ruthless first-half brace in the Roshn League on Tuesday night, driving his new club past Al-Ahli at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam.

He set the tone early. On 14 minutes, Reijnders collected the ball on the edge of the box and ripped a ferocious strike past Édouard Mendy, the Al-Ahli and Senegal goalkeeper left with no chance as the shot flew beyond him. One touch to set, one swing to finish. Clinical.

Al-Qadsiah kept coming. Deep into first-half stoppage time, with Al-Ahli already reeling, Reijnders struck again. Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat whipped in a cross and the Dutchman attacked it, timing his run and thumping a header home for his side’s third. A midfielder arriving like a centre-forward, sealing a dominant half.

Those two goals were only his second and third for Al-Qadsiah, but the impact feels bigger than the numbers. He arrived last summer from Manchester City under intense scrutiny, carrying the weight of a 61 million euro fee, the highest in the Saudi club’s history according to press reports. Now, the performances are starting to match the investment.

His start in Dammam already outstrips his early days in Manchester. With City, he found the net just once in his first four appearances, scoring against Wolverhampton on the opening weekend of the Premier League last season. At Al-Qadsiah, he needed only two games to get off the mark, scoring in the 2-0 win over Neom in the third round of the Roshn League. The brace against Al-Ahli has quickly turned a promising opening into something far more serious.

This is a midfielder playing with freedom, confidence and authority, driving a new project and carrying the expectations that come with a record-breaking move. If this is only the beginning, Al-Qadsiah may have landed the statement signing the Roshn League will be talking about all season.