Saudi: Ronaldo Leads Al-Nassr to Arab Cup Finals, Beating Iraqi Champions Al-Shorta
Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has reached his first final since moving to Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo led Al-Nassr to a 1-0 win over Iraqi champions Al-Shorta in the semi-finals of the Arab Club Champions Cup in the southern Saudi city of Abha on Wednesday.
The Portuguese international star successfully converted a 75th-minute penalty kick after a VAR review found that Sadio Mane had been fouled by Al-Shorta’s Faisal Jasim Nafil Al-Manaa.
Ronaldo has so far scored four goals for Al-Nassr in four games of the King Salman Cup for Arab Club Championship. He emerged on the tournament’s top scorer list ever since the start of the group stage.
Al Nassr will take on the Saudi winner club in the final on Saturday which will be decided in the second semifinals to be played between Al-Hilal and Al-Shabab.
Ronaldo almost scored a goal for Al-Nassr six minutes after the start of the second half, after he received a low pass from Sultan Al-Ghanam, but he fired a weak shot from close range that was blocked by Iraqi keeper Ahmed Basil. Mane dodged police defenders before hitting the crossbar from inside the penalty area 20 minutes before the final whistle. And then VAR awarded a penalty kick for Al-Nassr after Faisal Jassim blocked the Senegalese striker.
Ronaldo executed the kick successfully after he hit to the left of Basil, who moved to the other side of the post. Basil saved a header from Ronaldo from close range, two minutes before the end of the match.
