Tijjani Reijnders Shines in Al-Qadsiah Victory

Tijjani Reijnders is wasting no time justifying the price tag.

The Netherlands midfielder delivered a statement performance for Al-Qadsiah on Tuesday night, driving his new club past Al-Ahli in the sixth round of the Saudi Roshn League at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam.

He didn’t ease into the contest. He ripped it open.

On 14 minutes, Reijnders picked up the ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a fierce strike that flew beyond Édouard Mendy, the Al-Ahli and Senegal goalkeeper, to give Al-Qadsiah the lead. One touch to set, one swing to stun. The kind of finish that silences any early doubts about a big-money signing.

Al-Qadsiah rode that momentum and pushed Al-Ahli back, and just when the first half looked set to wind down, Reijnders struck again. Deep into stoppage time, three minutes beyond the 45, he timed his run perfectly and met a cross from Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, steering a header home for his side’s third of the night.

Two goals. One from distance, one from close range. Both full of conviction.

The brace takes Reijnders to three goals in Al-Qadsiah colours since his arrival from Manchester City last summer, with these his second and third in the league. His first had already come early in his Saudi spell, in only his second appearance, during a composed 2-0 victory over Neom in the third round of the Roshn League.

That fast start already outstrips his early days in England. At Manchester City last season, he found the net just once in his first four matches, scoring against Wolverhampton on the opening weekend of the Premier League. The adjustment to Saudi football, at least in front of goal, has been far smoother.

The numbers matter, because the expectations are huge. Reijnders remains the most expensive signing in Al-Qadsiah’s history, brought in from Manchester City in the last summer transfer window for a reported 61 million euros. Performances like this one, in a high-profile clash against Al-Ahli, are exactly what that kind of investment demands.

If this is how quickly he’s settling, the question now is not whether he can handle the Roshn League, but how far he can drag Al-Qadsiah up the table on nights like these.