February 22, (THEWILL) – Cristiano Ronaldo guided his Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr, into the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League on Wednesday. Al Nassr defeated domestic rivals, Al Fayha, 2-0 to progress 3-0 on aggregate in the round of 16.
Al Nassr, winners of last week’s first leg 1-0, thanks to a late Ronaldo goal, were dominant at Al Awwal Park. They took the lead on 17 minutes through Portuguese winger, Otavio, who headed home from close range for his second goal in as many games.
Ronaldo endured a frustrating night before finally making his mark. The 39-year-old had penalty appeals waved away and a goal disallowed for offside. He was also booked for a late challenge, with manager Luis Castro given a yellow card for excessive protests.
However, Ronaldo had the final say by latching onto a through ball from Marcelo Brozovic to tap into an empty net on 86 minutes. It marked his 10th goal in 9 matches and sealed Al Nassr’s quarter-final spot.
Al Ain, winners of the 2003 competition, also advanced via a dramatic stoppage time winner, coming from behind to beat Nasaf Qarshi 2-1.
Meanwhile, Harry Kewell also led Yokohama F-Marinos into the last eight in his first home game in charge. They edged out Bangkok United on penalties after extra time to continue Kewell’s bright start as manager.
About the Author
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.
