Thanks to Ronaldo, Al-Nassr Mastered the Arabian Peninsula

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Berkat Ronaldo, Al-Nassr Kuasai Jazirah Arab

TAIF, SATURDAY - At 38 years old, most football players would be considered past their prime, but this has not dampened Cristiano Ronaldo's goal-scoring instincts and champion mentality. The player nicknamed "CR7" scored two goals to help Al-Nassr clinch the title of Arab Club Champions Cup, solidifying their status as the rulers of the Arabian Peninsula.

Playing at the King Fahd Stadium in Taif, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night (12/8/2023), Al-Nassr is on a mission to win their first title in the Arab Club Champions Cup. The tournament has entered its 30th edition since it was first held in 1981 by the Union of Arab Football Associations, which is made up of 22 Arab Football Federations.

The number consists of 12 member federations of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and 10 federations within the African Football Confederation (CAF). In the 2023 edition, a total of 37 teams will compete to vie for the title of "Arab kings".

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As for Al-Nassr, he underwent the inaugural final in the most prestigious tournament for the Arab clubs. Their opponents, Al-Hilal, were the most successful Saudi team in the tournament. Previously, Al-Hilal had twice won the championship trophy and was the runner-up for two editions.

In addition, Al-Hilal is also favored because they can reach the pinnacle after defeating the champion of the Saudi League 2022-2023, Al-Ittihad, 3-1, in the quarterfinals. Furthermore, Al-Hilal also defeated the Saudi giant, Al-Shabab, with an identical score in the semifinals.

Al-Nassr made it to the final by defeating two former Arab Club Champions Cup winners, namely Raja Casablanca from Morocco, who have won the title twice, and Al-Shorta from Iraq, who won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1982.

The match was intense in the first half as both teams were unable to score a goal. At the beginning of the second half, Al-Hilal scored a goal through a header from left winger, Michael. Not to be outdone, Michael immediately performed Ronaldo's signature celebration after shaking the net of Al-Nassr's goal.

Ronaldo's heroic performance was not only based on the brace or the two goals he produced. More than that, he secured victory for Al-Nassr when the team was punished with three red cards.

Ronaldo's ambition to present the first trophy to Al-Nassr was realized with two goals from the player with number seven. Ronaldo scored the equalizer in the 74th minute after receiving a cross pass from the right wing back, Sultan al-Ghannam.

During the extended time, Ronaldo ensured Al-Nassr's victory with a directed header in the 98th minute. He utilized a shot from Al-Nassr midfielder, Seko Fofana, which hit the post.

Ronaldo's performance had to be stopped when the match reached the 112th minute due to an injury. CR7 was unable to continue the game after colliding with Al-Hilal player, Mohammed Jahfali, on his knee. Ronaldo was trying to take the ball from Jahfali.

Despite this, he was still able to jump and run onto the field to celebrate the championship title when the referee blew the final whistle. In addition to lifting the first trophy for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo was also crowned as the top scorer in the tournament with a collection of six goals. The number of goals is a new achievement for Al-Nassr players in the most prestigious tournament in the Arabian Peninsula.

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"I am very proud to have helped the team win this important trophy for the first time! Thank you to everyone at the club who was involved in this amazing achievement and to my family and friends who have always been by my side! Fantastic support from our fans. This is also yours," wrote Ronaldo in the caption of his Instagram account, which has been liked by over 9.3 million accounts."

Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro is not worried about Ronaldo's injury. He affirmed that the captain and goalscorer will not need a lot of time to recover from the problem in his knee.

"Cristiano (Ronaldo) will be back playing as soon as possible," said Castro, who has a Portuguese passport, after the game was reported by Afrique Sports.

After completing the Arab Club Champions Cup, Al-Nassr will begin their journey in the Saudi League on Tuesday, August 15th, 2023, facing Steven Gerrard's team, Al-Ettifaq.

Ronaldo's heroic performance was not only based on the brace or the two goals he produced. More than that, he ensured victory for Al-Nassr when the team was given three red cards by the referee.

Two Al-Nassr defenders had to end the match early. Defender Abdulelah al-Amri received a red card in the 71st minute after the referee reviewed the violation through the video assistant referee (VAR). In the 78th minute, substitute defender Nawaf Boushal also received a red card directly from the referee.

Playing with nine people did not dampen Al-Nassr's spirit. This condition actually increased the enthusiasm of Ronaldo and his friends as evidenced by scoring two winning goals. Ronaldo actually scored three goals against Al-Hilal, but the goal that was created in the 84th minute was disallowed by VAR for offside.

Not only the players, Castro also became the third member of the Al-Nassr team to be expelled from the field. The punishment was given by the referee after Castro considered the referee too lenient in giving a free kick to Al-Hilal due to a foul by Al-Nassr player.

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After winning the title of the best team in the Arabian Peninsula, Castro ensured that his team would focus on facing the Saudi League. In the next month, Al-Nassr is expected to have a match agenda in three tournaments. Apart from the league, they will also undergo the Asian Champions League playoff round, Tuesday (22/8/2023), as well as the Saudi Arabian King's Cup which starts at the end of September.

“I have asked for a new foreign centre-back to go through a long season. We need to increase the depth of the squad because there will be many matches in four different competitions,” said Castro, who will be having his first season in the Saudi League as reported by Portuguese media, Record.