Soufiane Rahimi on Al Ain's chances at Club World Cup: 'Nothing is impossible'

Morocco striker, MVP in the 2024 AFC Champion League and top scorer at the Paris Olympics, has been joined by his younger brother at Garden City Club

Soufiane Rahimi and Al Ain start their Club World Cup campaign against Serie A giants Juventus. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Being pitted in a group with football royalty such as Juventus and Manchester City at the Club World Cup leaves plenty of scope for daydreaming for Al Ain’s players.

Maybe they will have the chance to snuff out the threat of Dusan Vlahovic in their opening game, or tackle Erling Haaland, or stick a goal past Ederson when they face City.

With that in mind, the final fixture of Group G, against Wydad, could feel like something of a come down. But for two players, it might be the biggest fixture of any, and a chance to snatch some very meaningful personal bragging rights.

Wydad are flying the flag for Morocco at the Fifa Club World Cup. In domestic competition, their fiercest rivalry is with city neighbours Raja Casablanca.

Just lately it has started to feel like Raja have become a feeder club for Al Ain. The Garden City club certainly would not be in the United States were it not for the magnificent Soufiane Rahimi.

Rahimi was the outstanding player when Al Ain won the 2024 AFC Champions League, with a series of extraordinary displays against Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Yokohama F Marinos.

Al Ain players and coaching staff celebrate after beating Yokohama F Marinos to win the AFC Champions League on May 25, 2024. Al Ain won 5-1 at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium and 6-3 on aggregate. All images: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Two-goal hero and man of the match Soufiane Rahimi celebrates victory.

Al Ain manager Hernan Crespo celebrates with the trophy.

Al Ain celebrate their victory at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

Al Ain celebrate their victory at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

Al Ain celebrate their victory at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

Al Ain manager Hernan Crespo celebrates the win.

Al Ain players celebrate after the match.

Soufiane Rahimi after scoring his second of the match and Al Ain's third.

Kaku scores Al Ain's second goal from the spot.

Al Ain manager Hernan Crespo.

Soufiane Rahimi celebrates after scoring for Al Ain to make it 1-0 on the night.

Yokohama' goalkeeper William Popp after being sent off.

Yokohama's Australian manager Harry Kewell.

Al Ain's Soufiane Rahimi after scoring his second of the match.

Al Ain's Kaku celebrates after scoring.

Yokohama's Yan Matheus celebrates after scoring.

Soufiane Rahimi scores for Al Ain.

Yokohama's Yan Matheus after scoring.

Al Ain fans before the game at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

Yokohama fans before the game at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

Al Ain fans head to the stadium.

Al Ain fans ahead of the AFC Champions League final second leg.

Yokohama fans at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National

An Al Ain fan outside Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

Yokohama fans in the stadium before the game.

He has since been joined at the club by his younger brother, Houssine, who is also a striker of some promise.

To say the siblings were former Raja players undersells the point. They were as good as reared there, having grown up on site at Raja’s training ground as sons of the club’s long-serving kit man.

After arriving at Al Ain just in time for this tournament, Houssine was quick to pay thanks to the club which brought him to this point.

“I will never forget the support of my colleagues at Raja Casablanca, the club that supported me during challenging times,” Houssine, 23, said.

“But today I am opening a new page with Al Ain, with a strong desire to repay appreciation to everyone who gave me this opportunity.”

Houssine said that having the chance to play alongside his older brother provides a “special flavour,” that gives him “double motivation on and off the field”.

He has seen the way the Ainawi – the club’s supporters – have taken his brother to their hearts, and he wants to make them proud, too.

“I promise to show my fighting spirit for the badge I wear in every match,” Houssine said.

“My ambitions are great. I know very well that [reaching the top of the] podium and winning titles every season is the goal of this great club. I ask God that we can celebrate championships together.”

The scope of the challenge facing Al Ain in the United States is significant. They will likely enter each game they play as the underdogs. But Soufiane says that just means the potential gains are even greater.

“They’re huge teams,” Soufiane, 29, said. “Each one of us wants to give their best and make the whole world notice.

“These matches make men, and are played with passion and heart. Thank God, we’re playing against big teams that will make us perform well.

“First off, we have great ambitions, like any team that’s taking part in this major tournament. Hopefully, we’ll perform at our best for Al Ain. We have big ambitions, like every team in this major tournament.

“We hope to live up to our fans’ expectations, as well as those of every football fan. Nothing is impossible in football. We’ll play with everything we’ve got and we hope to achieve our goal.”

The idea that “nothing is impossible” is a good mantra for Al Ain’s players to take into this competition; at times last season, it must have seemed like much was impossible.

The season that followed their Champions League success was a miserable one. The signs were ominous at the very start, when they gave up a 3-0 lead in a UAE Pro League games against lowly Bataeh.

“What we did last season, winning the Champions League, was a miracle,” Hernan Crespo, the then manager, said after that draw in Sharjah. It certainly quickly became all too much for him, and the Argentine paid with his job.

His replacement, Leonardo Jardim, did not last the season, and now they have Vladimir Ivic in the dugout at the Club World Cup.

Ivic himself is confident they have improved on his watch, even if a fifth-place finish in the Pro League was underwhelming.

If Bataeh were a match for them, it is daunting to think what the likes of Juventus and City could do. But with Soufiane in their ranks, they will always have a puncher’s chance.

“This year was special for Soufiane Rahimi considering all that I’ve achieved,” said Soufiane, who followed up his MVP award in the Champions League by finishing top scorer at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“We’re striving for more every year; 2024 was great for me and it’ll live long in my memory. I hope the coming years will be more like this past one.

“Hopefully, I’ll be one of the tournament’s top scorers or one of the players who makes an impact. I always say that nothing’s impossible in football.

“You need to believe in your abilities. Thankfully, I’m one of those players who does believe in their abilities, and nothing’s impossible in football.

“Most importantly, I’ll keep my ambitions and the emotions that I had in the AFC Champions League and the Olympics. Hopefully, I can keep the same level of focus and aspiration.”