Ronaldo suffers more agony as Al Nassr lose 1-0 in AFC final
Key takeaways
- Ronaldo’s wait for his first piece of major silverware since signing a big-money deal to join Al Nassr in 2023 was extended by the Japanese club, who withstood a second-half barrage by the Saudi side.
- But it was Gamba who struck the only goal of the game, against the run of play, when forward Deniz Hummet latched onto Issam Jebali’s through ball and buried his finish from the edge of the box after 29 minutes.
- “We had prepared well but they were very fast and they surprised us,” said Al Nassr’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus.
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Add ARY News on Google AAResize RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo suffered heartache for the second time in a week when his Saudi club Al Nassr were stunned at home 1-0 by Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday.
Ronaldo’s wait for his first piece of major silverware since signing a big-money deal to join Al Nassr in 2023 was extended by the Japanese club, who withstood a second-half barrage by the Saudi side.
In front of 26,000 fans at the King Saud University Stadium, Al Nassr were hot favourites to become the first Saudi Arabian side to win the AFC Champions League Two, the second-tier Asian continental crown equivalent to UEFA’s Europa League.