Cristiano Ronaldo Reacts After Sadio Mane Leads Al Nassr to Fightback Win in His Absence

• Cristiano Ronaldo heaped praise on his Al-Nassr teammates after their win against Al Fayha
• The five-time Ballon d'Or winner missed the match day 28 SPL fixture due to suspension
• In his absence, Sadio Mane inspired the Knights of Najd to an impressive comeback victory

Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted to Al-Nassr's epic fightback victory against Al Fayha in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) on Friday, April 19.

The veteran Portuguese player missed the fixture after he was suspended due to a red card he received in Al-Nassr's defeat to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup.

Ronaldo appeared to elbow defender Ali Al-Bulaihi in a heated Riyadh derby of the Super Cup, which led to the former's send-off as the Knights of Najd exited the competition at the semi-final stage, per GOAL.

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His suspension meant he was not eligible to feature against Al Fayha in the Saudi top-flight tie at Mrsool Park.

How did Al-Nassr perform in Ronaldo's absence?

In Cristiano's absence, Al Fayha threatened to spoil Al-Nassr's plans, as Zambian forward Fashion Sakala scored just six minutes into the match.

Sadio Mane, tasked with filling Ronaldo's shoes, initially faltered by missing a penalty opportunity to level the score.

However, the 32-year-old redeemed himself with a volley to complete Al-Nassr's comeback after Abdulelah Al Amri equalised Sakala's opener.

Mane then showcased his skill and finesse with a remarkable solo run from the left flank, dribbling past the Al Fayha defence before scoring with a clever nutmeg on the goalkeeper.

His second goal of the night secured a 3-1 come-from-behind victory for Al-Nassr, who were also without head coach Luis Castro due to health reasons.

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How did Ronaldo react after the win?

Following the hard-fought win against the 11th-placed Al Fayha, Ronaldo took to his Instagram stories to pat his teammates on the back for picking up their 22nd win of the campaign.

“Well done, Team,” the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus ace wrote on the photo-sharing App.

What's next for Ronaldo?

As noted by Sofascore, Ronaldo is slated to make his comeback for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Kings Cup semi-final clash against Al Khaleej on Saturday, April 27.

With his team eliminated from the AFC Champions League and Saudi Super Cup, and the Saudi League title seeming unlikely due to Al-Hilal's dominance, the King's Cup remains CR7's sole chance to lift a trophy this season.

Usain Bolt picks Ronaldo as favourite player, snubs Messi

Sports Brief also reported that Usain Bolt has reignited the timeless debate over the greatest footballer of all time (GOAT) with his latest remarks on the top three players in the sport's history.

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In a rapid-fire session, Bolt was pressed to name his favourite footballer.

When asked why he didn't choose Lionel Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, the former sprinter stood by his decision, declaring, "Yeah, for sure. It’s Cristiano Ronaldo."