The veteran 38-year-old forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, marked his presence with an early goal as Al Nassr triumphed 3-1 against Raja Casablanca in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup.
In the 19th minute, a lengthy pass from a teammate found Anderson Talisca, who skillfully advanced into the penalty area. Ronaldo, positioned just outside the box, requested the ball. The Brazilian forward played it back to the Portuguese superstar, who unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from approximately 16 meters out. The shot nestled into the near corner, leaving goalkeeper Anas Zniti with no chance to intervene.
Ronaldo’s exuberant celebration ensued as the ball found the net. He sprinted towards his familiar corner of the pitch, celebrating with a jubilant spin. Following suit, Sadio Mane mimicked the celebration, a customary gesture he reserves for his teammates’ goals.
This match marked the third consecutive game in which Ronaldo found the net for Al Nassr. It also added to his impressive tally of 841 career goals. Ronaldo is now leading the race for the Golden Boot award with three goals, tied with his former teammate Karim Benzema. However, Benzema’s chances of improving his score were dashed as his club, Al Ittihad, was eliminated in the quarterfinals a day earlier.
The high regard Al Nassr commands is no coincidence, attributed to its star-studded lineup including Ronaldo, Talisca, Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic, and Alex Telles. In contrast, the Moroccan representative lacks players with European acclaim, and their logo even remained absent from Google’s match coverage.
Following Ronaldo’s opening goal, Al Nassr continued their offensive dominance, netting two more goals in succession. In the 29th minute, Sultan Al Ghannam deftly controlled a lengthy pass, chesting the ball into the penalty area before slotting it past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. Nine minutes later, Telles delivered a cross from the left, met by Fofana’s diving header that found the far corner, extending the lead. Casablanca managed to pull one back with an own goal by defender Abdullah Madu, three minutes later.
In the second half, Ronaldo had two opportunities from free kicks, but neither posed significant danger. Despite this, Al Nassr maintained their first-half lead, securing their spot in the semifinals against Iraqi club Al-Shorta on August 9th. In the other semifinal, Al Hilal will face either Al-Shabab or Al Wahda. A potential all-Saudi final awaits.
The Arab Club Champions Cup is an annual tournament for Arab clubs in the Middle East and North Africa. Al Nassr’s participation this year was by special invitation from the Arab Football Association, negating the need for qualification rounds. The competition, featuring 16 teams divided into four groups of four, runs from July 27th to August 12th in Saudi Arabia, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stages.
