Cristiano Ronaldo scores his debut Asian Champions League goal

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal in the Asian Champions League during Al-Nassr's 3-1 victory over Istiklol in Dubai.

Chirag

October 8, 2023

In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Cristiano Ronaldo made a significant mark by scoring his inaugural goal in the Asian Champions League during Al-Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Istiklol on Monday. This event managed to shift the focus back to soccer after a previous match between Sepahan of Iran and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad was canceled amid controversy.

The Saudi team decided not to take the field at Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium in Isfahan due to the presence of busts depicting Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who led Iran’s elite Quds Force before his death in a U.S. drone strike in neighboring Iraq in January 2020. Additionally, there were other political banners present, as reported by Saudi Arabia’s Al Ekhbariya TV.

Gen. Soleimani was widely acknowledged for his role in arming, training, and leading various armed groups across the region, including fighters from the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a conflict with these Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen since 2015.

Three busts of Gen. Soleimani were positioned on the sideline at the Iranian stadium. Following a roughly 30-minute delay, the Saudi league champions, featuring stars like N’Golo Kante and Fabinho, departed the stadium where approximately 60,000 fans were eagerly awaiting the match.

The Asian Football Confederation released a statement indicating that the cancellation of the Group C match was due to “unanticipated and unforeseen circumstances,” without providing further details. Initially, the match had been classified as postponed.

On the other hand, Al-Nassr took control of their match against Istiklol from Tajikistan during the second half in Riyadh. Cristiano Ronaldo, who had joined the club in December, leveled the score with a skillful chip in the middle of the second half, following Senin Sebai’s earlier goal for Istiklol just before halftime. Subsequently, Brazilian forward Anderson Talisca scored two quick goals, securing the victory for Al-Nassr.

Al-Nassr, in pursuit of its first continental championship, currently leads Group E with six points from two matches, three points ahead of Persepolis. In another match, the Iranian club defeated Al-Duhail of Qatar 1-0.

Meanwhile, Nasaf Qarshi of Uzbekistan continued its impressive start in Group B with a 3-1 triumph over Al-Sadd from Qatar, while Al-Faisaly suffered a 1-0 loss at the hands of Sharjah.

It’s important to note that only the top team from each of the 10 groups and the six best-performing second-place teams will advance to the next stage of the competition.