Ronaldo, Mane Lead Al Nassr to King's Cup Final After Beating Al Khaleej at Home

Ronaldo, Mane Lead Al Nassr to King's Cup Final After Beating Al Khaleej at Home

Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe
updated at May 2, 2024 at 6:20 AM
In this article:
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
Sadio Mané logo
S. Mané
Al Nassr FC logoFSenegal logo
Al Nassr FC logo
Al Nassr
Saudi Arabia
33
Al Khaleej Club logo
Al Khaleej Club
Saudi Arabia
25
Saudi Arabia Kings Cup logo
KSA Kings Cup
Saudi Arabia
Al-Hilal Saudi FC logo
Al-Hilal Saudi FC
Saudi Arabia
30
  • Al-Nassr cruised past Al-Khaleej to reach the King's Cup final
  • Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane sealed the win
  • Al-Nassr made it to the cup final for the first time since 2020

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Al-Nassr reached the final of Saudi Arabian knockout tournament, the King's Cup, thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo double and a solitary strike from Sadio Mane on Wednesday, May 1.

Following last season's setback in the semi-finals against Al-Wehda, the Knights of Najd were clearly determined to avoid a repeat, notching a convincing 3-1 win over their opponents.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Al-Nassr, Al Khaleej, King's Cup, semi-final, goal, penalty, Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane have led Al-Nassr to the King's Cup final after a victory over Al-Khaleej at Al Awwal Park on May 1, 2024. Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images.
Source: Getty Images

How Ronaldo, Mane led Al-Nassr to King's Cup final

In front of an enthusiastic home crowd at Al-Awwal Park, Luis Castro's men made early attempts to break the deadlock, with Portuguese duo, Ronaldo and Otavio, testing the Al-Khaleej defence, only to be denied by Ibrahim Sehic.

However, the veteran forward's left-footed volley in the 17th minute found the back of the net, marking his first goal in four appearances for the Riyadh-based club and giving his team the lead, per SportBIBLE.

Subsequently, when awarded a penalty, Ronaldo selflessly passed the opportunity to Mane, who confidently doubled the home side's advantage with an expertly taken spot kick, beIN Sports reports.

Despite a goal from Saudi international, Aiman Yahya, being disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee just before half-time, Ronaldo extended the lead with his second goal, capitalising on a loose ball in the box three minutes before the hour mark.

Although Fawaz Al-Torais scored a consolation goal for Al-Khaleej, it was not enough to change the outcome, as Ronaldo and his teammates secured the crucial win, setting up a final showdown with Al-Hilal.

In the other semi-final, the Blue Waves overcame Al-Ittihad, setting the stage for what promises to be an enthralling Grand Finale.

Fans laud Ronaldo for gifting Mane penalty

Sports Brief also reported on fans lauding Ronaldo for his selfless act during Al-Nassr's semi-final tie against Al Khaleej, handing over penalty-taking duties to teammate, Mane.

Despite facing accusations of being a self-centered player, the 39-year-old surprised many with his gesture, clearly attempting to emphasise team success over personal accolades.

Authors
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe photo
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe is a Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and La Liga editor with five-year experience. He previously worked with Sports Corna and 360SportsGH.
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