 "Cristiano Ronaldo in action during the Saudi Super Cup final against Al-Ahli. Image: AP")
Cristiano Ronaldo’s wait to win a major trophy with Al-Nassr continues as the club lost to Al-Ahli in the Saudi Super Cup final on Saturday at the Hong Kong Stadium. Ronaldo was on the scoresheet, converting a penalty in the 41st minute to put Al-Nassr in front. However, in an eventful match, both teams ended normal time at 2-2, but Al-Ahli edged Al-Nassr on penalties to claim the silverware.
Ronaldo was visibly disappointed after suffering the loss in the summit clash, and his expressions following the match told the whole story. The cameramen were quick to catch Ronaldo’s reaction after the final penalty, and the visuals quickly became viral on social media.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s wait continues
Al-Nassr started on a bright note; they were the offensive side in the initial phase and continued to seek opportunities to take shots. The persistence eventually paid off as Ronaldo struck from the spot in the 41st minute to give Al-Nassr a deserved lead. However, Franck Kessie scored the equaliser for Al-Ahli just at the stroke of half-time.
Both teams continued to pose threats to each other in the second half, but a breakthrough did not come until the 82nd minute when Marcelo Brozovic punished Al-Ahli following a mistake committed by Kessie. Al-Nassr were minutes away from winning the championship, but Roger Ibanez stepped up in the clutch situation for his team and headed a goal in the 89th minute to force the match into penalties.
In the shootout, Ronaldo once again managed to convert his penalty but was let down by his teammates, prolonging the wait to win a major trophy with Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo achieves a massive milestone
Nonetheless, Ronaldo did conquer a feat on a personal front. By slotting the ball inside the goal in the 41st minute, the 40-year-old completed his 100th goal for Al-Nassr. He thereby becomes the first player in history to score 100 or more goals for five different teams: Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al-Nassr, and Portugal. With this goal, Ronaldo now has 939 career goals to his name.