Al Ittihad: Club That Knocked Out Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Wins Saudi Super Cup

• Al-Ittihad has finally laid its hands on the elusive Saudi Super Cup after edging Al-Feiha on Sunday evening
• A brace from Moroccan forward Abderrazak Hamdallah was more than enough to secure the trophy at the King Fahd International Stadium
• Coached by former Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, it is the first time the Jeddah-based club have won the trophy after several heartbreaks

Al-Ittihad have been crowned winners of the 2023 Saudi Super Cup after beating Al-Feiha in the final.

Ittihad punched their ticket to the Grand Finale on Thursday after getting the better of Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr in the semifinals.

The Jeddah-based giants drew first blood in the final through Hamdallah after he was teed up by Romarinho just three minutes inside the game.

Al-Feiha's woes would be further compounded after midfielder Abdulrahman Al Safari received his marching orders just before the half-hour mark.

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Hamdallah put the game beyond the reach of Feiha with his team's second on the night three minutes after recess, per Sofascore.

The Moroccan's goal early in the second half, took the wind out of the game's sail as both teams traded a plethora of substitutions as Ittihad held on to clinch their maiden Super Cup title.

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This is the first time Ittihad have won the trophy after finishing as losing finalists in 2013 and 2018, per Wikipedia.

The Saudi Super Cup was introduced in 2013 with two teams - winners of the Saudi Pro League and champions of the King Cup competing for the prize.

However, the competition was expanded to accommodate four teams in 2022.

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Ittihad breaks Ronaldo, Al-Nassr hearts

Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a chastening defeat in his second competitive game for Al-Nassr.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward captained his new side for the second successive game; however, he ended up on the losing side.

Unfortunately, the 37-year-old's first silverware will be delayed following Al-Nassr's exit from the 2023 Saudi Super Cup, suffering a 3-1 loss against Al-Ittihad.

Ronaldo faulted for Ittihad defeat

Sports Brief earlier reported that Al-Nassr coach, Rudi Garcia has appeared to put the blame for his side's elimination from the Saudi Super Cup on Cristiano Ronaldo.

Garcia's charges, led by their new superstar, bowed out of the competition at the semi-final stage following a 3-1 loss to Al-Ittihad on Thursday evening.

Reflecting on his side's exit, Garcia identified a chance missed by Ronaldo as the moment which turned the tie away from Al-Nassr's favour.