SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Ronaldo’s first season in Saudi Arabia ends with injury
Cristiano Ronaldo missed the final matchday of the Saudi Pro League due to injury as his Al-Nassr team finished their season with 3-0 victory over Al-Fateh on Wednesday.
The Portuguese forward decided not to sit on the bench for the frustrating end to his first season in Saudi Arabia after joining Al-Nassr in January on a contract estimated by the media to be worth more than 200 million euros ($213.5 million).
The 38-year-old ended up with 14 goals in 16 matches, having played every minute of every league game barring a 1-1 draw with Al-Ettifaq last month, when he was taken off in the 84th minute, and Wednesday’s final match.
Al-Nassr failed to win any titles this season and finished the league in second place, five points behind the champions Al-Ittihad.
-Reuters
Former Super Eagles’ coach, Jose Peseiro is on the line to coach Saudi Arabia Pro League first tier team, Al Riyadh.
Information from the oil rich country indicate that Peseiro who had previously coached the Saudi Arabia national team is one of the two being considered to replace Odair Hellmann at the Saudi club which placed 14th at the end of last season.
It is gathered that Peseiro has a competitor in Spanish cooach, Javier Pereira who is also lineup for the job.
Peseiro had previously managed Al Hilal in 2006 and later coached the Saudi national team during their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Al Nasr’s Cristiano Ronaldo capped his first full Saudi Pro League season in style as he broke the record for the most goals scored in one campaign on Monday.
The Portuguese 39-year-old scored a brace in his side’s 4-2 win over Al Ittihad on the final matchday to bring his league tally this season to 35 goals.
The previous record was held by former Al Nasr forward and Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored 34 goals in 2018-19.
Ronaldo, who played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, joined Al Nasr in January 2023.
-Reuters
Undefeated Al-Hilal won a record-extending 19th Saudi Pro League title on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Al-Hazem to reclaim the trophy from Al-Ittihad who won it last season.
Jorge Jesus’ side hold a 12-point advantage over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in second with three matches remaining.
Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Al-Hilal the lead from the penalty spot after 15 minutes but Faiz Selemani netted the equaliser for Al-Hazem in the 34th minute.
However, Jesus’s side took the lead again with an own goal from Ahmed Al-Juwaid in the 39th minute.
Mitrovic scored again in first-half stoppage time and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored three minutes later to make it 4-1.
Al-Hilal are chasing the treble having clinched the Saudi Super Cup title in April, and having reached the Saudi King’s Cup final where they will play Al-Nassr.
-Reuters
This is my story: Odegbami on how he is stranded in London
BREAKING! Odegbami stranded in London as saboteurs cause travel chaos in France before Opening Ceremony
Host club at Super Falcons’ Olympic match venue, Bordeaux is bankrupt
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoI prefer a foreign coach for the Super Eagles, says Amaju
-
Olympics5 days agoBrazilian women train in Zidane’s birthplace ahead of Nigeria Super Falcons clash
-
Premier League1 week agoNigerian-born Man United’s new striker promises creativity and unpredictability to fans
-
Olympics13 hours agoThis is my story: Odegbami on how he is stranded in London
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoOsimhen’s outburst was a moment of madness, says Amaju
-
OBITUARY1 day agoBREAKING! Former Heartland FC owner, Iwuanyanwu, dies at 81
-
Olympics6 days agoTeams plan for lack of toilets on Paris opening ceremony barges
-
Olympics1 week agoWhat you need to know about the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony