November 24, (THEWILL) – On Thursday, Portugal needed a couple of late goals to pull off a tense 3-2 victory over Ghana, as Cristiano Ronaldo became the first ever player to score in five World Cups.
Ronaldo, now a free agent, successfully converted a penalty in Ghana’s Group H opening just two days after his mutually agreed-upon contract termination with Manchester United.
The Ghanaian players were incensed when Mohammed Salisu’s mild challenge on Ronaldo resulted in a penalty kick in the 65th minute, but they rallied, with Andre Ayew pulling them level in the 73rd minute.
Joao Felix, however, put Portugal back in the lead and Rafael Leao came from the bench to add a third, which was crucial when Osman Bukari scored a late consolation goal for Ghana. Ghana still had a wonderful opportunity to steal a point through Inaki Williams but the chance went begging.
On Monday, Portugal will play their next match against Uruguay, and Ghana will play South Korea.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.