New Delhi: Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr teammates had to wait an hour before starting their AFC Champions League Elite fixture against Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana in Riyadh on Monday following a regional security alert.
Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued a safety warning roughly fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff time amidst recent missile attacks linked to Yemen-based Houthi rebels. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting and destroying two ballistic missiles directed toward Riyadh on Monday, while residents heard at least three explosions across the city during the evening.
The warning disrupted operations at Al-Awwal Park where the continental fixture was scheduled to take place, leaving a thin crowd in the stands while both squads awaited clearance. Once Saudi authorities confirmed the threat had passed, the green light was given to proceed with the match after the one-hour delay.
Despite the tense pre-match atmosphere, Al-Nassr overcame the disruption to secure a 3-1 win, with Ronaldo finding the net before halftime. Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring in the 33rd minute via a deflected shot, and Ronaldo doubled the lead nine minutes later.
Sadio Mane sent a looping cross from the left flank, which Aiman Yahya chested into the path of Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward finished cleanly on the turn to find the bottom corner and put the hosts ahead by two goals at the interval.
Neftchi Fergana narrowed the deficit six minutes into the second half when Alisher Odilov scored, but the visitors suffered a setback when Ikromjon Alibaev received a red card in the 65th minute for a challenge on Mohamed Simakan.
Al-Nassr capitalized on the extra man in the 78th minute, capping off the 3-1 triumph when Neftchi defender Anvarjon Gofurov accidentally put the ball into his own net, ensuring a successful sporting outcome on an otherwise unsettling night.