January 27, (THEWILL) – Cristiano Ronaldo’s new team, Al Nassr, suffered a defeat at the hands of Al-Ittihad in the semi-final match of the Saudi Super Cup on Thursday.
Ronaldo, who had made his debut for Al Nassr four days earlier in a 1-0 win over Ettifaq, is still waiting for his first goal with the team. In the Thursday match, Al-Ittihad, managed by ex-Tottenham boss, Nuno Espirito Santo, dominated the first half with goals from Brazilian Romarinho and Moroccan striker, Abderrazak Hamdallah.
A chance to equalise for Al Nassr fell to Ronaldo but he was unable to convert. Al Nassr managed to score a goal in the second half through Anderson Talisca, but it was not enough to secure a win as Al-Ittihad sealed the victory in added time with a goal from Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti.
With this win, Al-Ittihad will now proceed to the final match of the Saudi Super Cup, where they will face off against Al-Fayha. Al-Fayha had defeated reigning national champions, Al-Hilal 1-0 in the other semi-final match on Thursday.
The final match is scheduled to take place on Sunday.
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.
