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Cristiano Ronaldo recently scored his 900th goal. (Agencies)
Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t part of Al-Nassr’s King Cup of Champions opening clash.
Cristiano Ronaldo was elated after his Al-Nassr teammates made a triumphant start to their campaign in the King Cup of Champions. Ronaldo was not part of the Al-Nassr squad which took the field against Al-Hazm on September 23 in Buraydah.
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Nawaf Boushal turned out to be the hero of the Round of 32 clash. The Saudi full-back struck the winner in the stoppage time of the second-half to secure a last-gasp win for Al-Nassr.
After the victory was sealed, Ronaldo congratulated his club teammates via an Instagram story.
The Portuguese superstar dropped a picture of the Al-Nassr squad celebrating their victory at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. His post also featured a glimpse of the stands packed by Al-Nassr fans.
“Got the win in the King’s Cup. Well done,” Ronaldo wrote.
With the five-time Ballon d’Or winner sitting out, Sadio Mane had worn the captain armband for Al-Nassr in the King Cup opener. The former Liverpool star was also the main man in Stefano Pioli’s new-look attack.
Mane no doubt excelled in the role and broke the deadlock with an impressive header in the dying moments of the first half. Sultan al Ghannam sent a precise cross from the right wing and all it needed was a touch. Al-Nassr, however, failed to hold on to the lead for long.
Al-Hazm made a comeback in the 62nd minute, with Basil Yousef Alsayyali scoring the equaliser. Karim Yoda began the attack after receiving a long pass on the right flank before sending the ball to Alsayyali, whose shot first bounced off the crossbar before going into the net. The scoreline remained unchanged till the 90+2 minute when Nawaf Boushal emerged as the saviour for Al-Nassr.
Besides Ronaldo, Marcelo Brozovic was also unavailable for the King Cup opener due to an injury issue.
Ronaldo was last seen in action in the Saudi Pro League fixture against Al-Ettifaq. The Al-Nassr captain scored a penalty, with his team notching a 3-0 victory in the away game.
Stefano Pioli’s men will next face Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League on September 27.
