Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr match delayed by an hour after missile threat in Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr were forced to wait an hour before kicking off their AFC Champions League Elite match against Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana on Monday after a security alert in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense issued a security warning about 15 minutes before the match was scheduled to start amid rocket attacks claimed by Yemen-based Houthi rebels in recent days. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Riyadh on Monday, with at least three explosions heard in the city in the evening.
The alert disrupted preparations at Al-Awwal Park, where the teams were due to begin their continental campaign. A sparse crowd remained in the stands as the players waited for the situation to be resolved. Saudi Arabia’s civil defense subsequently announced that the danger had passed, allowing preparations to resume after an hour’s delay.
The match continued under a tense security environment and the incident diverted attention from the action on the pitch before kick-off. Al-Nassr eventually overcame the break to record a 3-1 victory, with Ronaldo scoring before half-time.
RONALDO scored as AL-NASSR won
Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring for Al-Nassr in the 33rd minute with a deflected shot. Ronaldo then doubled the visitors’ lead nine minutes later, completing a move by two of his teammates.
Sadio Mane delivered a looping cross from the left and Aiman Yahya chested the ball into Ronaldo’s path. The 41-year-old Portuguese forward pounced on the turn and fired the ball into the bottom corner to give Al-Nassr a two-goal cushion before the break.
Neftchi Fergana responded six minutes into the second half, with Alisher Odilov pulling one back to offer the visitors a way back into the match. However, their task became more difficult when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on Mohamed Simakan.
Al-Nassr prevailed with its numerical advantage only at the end of the match and sealed the 3:1 win in the 78th minute, when Neftchi defender Anvarjon Gofurov scored an own goal.
The result gave Al-Nassr a positive result on a night when a security alert threatened to overshadow the facility.
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