Sports

Ronaldo scores first goal for Al Nassr

Portuguese star, Cristiano Ronaldo, scored his first goal for Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr, on Friday with a stoppage-time penalty that rescued a 2-2 away draw against Al Fateh.

Ronaldo, who turns 38 on Sunday, scored the spot-kick in the 93rd minute for a point that left the Riyadh club joint top of the Saudi Pro League with a game in hand over Al Shabab.

The former Manchester United forward broke his duck in his third appearance after he fired blanks in the January 22 league win over Ettifaq and in this week’s Super Cup loss to Al Ittihad.

READ ALSO: Al Nassr: Ronaldo’ll return to Europe 

Days before his Al Nassr debut, he scored twice for a Saudi composite team in an entertaining 5-4 loss to a Paris Saint-Germain side featuring his great rival, Lionel Messi.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who holds the all-time records for Champions League and international goals, will bank more than 400 million euros for his surprise move to Saudi, according to sources close to Al Nassr.

The giant sum includes 200 million euros for promoting Saudi Arabia’s expected joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, the sources told AFP.

Ronaldo has become a figurehead for the conservative kingdom’s push to improve its reputation through sports – a process that has drawn accusations of “sportswashing”, or trying to sanitise its human rights record.

The Star

Segun Ojo

Recent Posts

How and why Sunrise lost $2.35bn claim against Nigeria, By GARBA SHEHU

By GARBA SHEHU There are good reasons why Leno Adesanya and his company, Sunrise Power…

1 hour ago

Stray bullet kills 400-level Niger varsity student

A 400-level student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL) in Niger State, Isma’il Ishaq…

2 hours ago

Low turnout recorded in Kano by-election

The by-election for the Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano State recorded low voter turnout…

3 hours ago

Anambra reviews 180 criminal cases over land disputes

The Anambra State Ministry of Justice is reviewing about 180 criminal cases arising from land…

3 hours ago

Bandits demand N30m ransom for six Zamfara clerics

Bandits who kidnapped six Islamic clerics in Zamfara State have demanded N30 million for their…

3 hours ago

I rejected N250m offer to back Obasanjo’s third term — Aliyu

Former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Farouq Aliyu, has alleged that he was offered N250…

3 hours ago

This website uses cookies.