Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Reach Arab Cup Last 4 for First Time in Almost 3 Decades

Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Reach Arab Cup Last 4 for First Time in Almost 3 Decades

Ero Samson
updated at August 9, 2023 at 7:17 AM
In this article:
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
  • Cristiano Ronaldo's influence on Al-Nassr has grown since his signing for the club
  • The forward has been instrumental in guiding the team to the top of Arab football
  • Al-Nassr recently made Arab Cup history under the Portuguese star's leadership

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr continue to make strides since the arrival of the Portuguese megastar in January.

Despite narrowly losing the Saudi Pro League title to Al-Ittihad in the previous season, the Knights of Najd have become a prominent topic of discussion, being considered strong contenders and potential champions in every competition they participate in.

Ronaldo, Al Nassr, Sadio Mane
Al Nassr qualified for the Arab Champions Cup semi-final for first the time since 1995. Image: Stringer.
Source: Getty Images

The Saudi Arabian club recently made history with their latest Arab Club Champions Cup win against Moroccan club, Raja Casablanca.

Al-Nassr makes Arab Cup history

Al-Nassr made it to the semi-finals of the regional competition for the first time since the turn of the century, per a report by Transfermarkt.

The last time the Saudi club was at this stage of this competition was in 1995 when they lost to fellow Saudi Arabian club, Al Hilal, after a penalty shootout.

This time around, the Riyadh-based club knocked out the reigning champions, Raja Casablanca, 3-1 to qualify for the Arab Cup semi-finals, after Ronaldo scored the opening goal.

In the semi-final, per a report by Sports Tiger, Al-Nassr will square off against Al-Shorta SC on August 9. The Iraqi club comes off the back of a win against Qatari giants, Al-Sadd, in their clash in Abha.

Many are expecting Ronaldo to continue his purple patch in front of the goal, having escaped a five-match dry spell coming into the Arab Club Champions Cup earlier this season.

Ronaldo nears 900-goal career milestone

Sports Brief also reported on Ronaldo nearing 900 career goals after opening the scoring for Al-Nassr in their Arab Club Champions Cup clash with defending champions, Raja Casablanca.

The Portuguese veteran is stated to currently stand on 841 scores, placing him ahead of the likes of the legendary Diego Maradona and Pele, as well as his famed arch-rival, Lionel Messi.

Authors
Ero Samson photo
Ero Samson
Samson Ero is a sports journalist with a track record of over five years in the Nigerian media industry. He graduated from Nigerian Institute of Journalism (2021-2023).
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