The goal was a moment of personal triumph, a statistic, which got drowned in Pakhtakor’s noisy celebrations after they won 2-1.

The 79th minute equaliser propelled the 32-year-old hitman to the zenith of the AFC Champions League all-time scoring charts since the tournament was rebranded and launched in 2002-03.

Goal No 13 makes the Uzbek the tournament’s stand-out striker.

When this fact was brought to his notice by the-afc.com, Tadjiyev said: “I am very happy to become the top-scorer in this tough tournament.”

“The record is special to me because it came against top-quality teams. I will strive to better it (the record).”

Starting 2002, Tadjiyev reaped a rich harvest of four goals before enduring a drought in the next edition.

Pakhtakor farmed out its loyal player in 2005 and he missed that edition before returning in 2006 with two goals. In 2007 he was loaned out again by his employers.

2008 saw him fire two goals before this instalment brought out the best in him - five goals.

Incidentally, Tadjiyev replaced his younger brother Farhod, 23, in the 42nd minute against Ettifaq before hitting the equaliser late in the game.

And hadn’t the third sibling Komoliddin Tadjiyev, who also plays for Pakhtakor, not been injured, it would have been a record of sorts for both the Tadjiyevs and Pakhtakor.

Chasing Tadjiyev’s record is fellow Uzbek international Anwar Soliev, who turns out for fellow qualifiers Bunyodkor. Soliev and the Korean duo of Kim Do-hyeon and Ahn Jung-hwan have netted 12 goals each.

Syria’s Firas Al Khatib, Iraqi Emad Mohamed and Mahmoud Karimi stand on 11 goals each, followed by Brazilian Magno Alves, who scored a whopping eight goals in 2006, and Hai Haidong of China on 10 each.

PLAYERS WITH 10 OR MORE GOALS IN ACL SINCE 2002-03

Zaynitdin Tadjiyev (Uzbekistan) - 13
Anvar Soliev (Uzbekistan) - 12
Kim Do Hoon (Korea Republic) - 12
Ahn Jung Hwan (Korea Republic) - 12
Firas Al Khatib (Syria) - 11
Emad Mohammed (Iraq) - 11
Mahmoud Karimi (Iran) - 11
Magno Alves (Brazil) - 10
Hao Haidung (China) - 10