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Al Nassr Stunned in AFC Final as Ronaldo Endures Another Painful Defeat
Al Nassr’s hopes of winning the AFC Champions League Two ended in disappointment after a 1-0 defeat to Japan’s Gamba Osaka despite Ronaldo’s presence.
Cristiano Ronaldo suffered fresh disappointment on Saturday after Al Nassr were beaten 1-0 by Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final in Riyadh.
The defeat extended Ronaldo’s wait for his first major trophy with the Saudi Arabian club since arriving in 2023 and came only days after another painful setback in the Saudi Pro League title race.
Al Nassr, heavily backed by home supporters at the King Saud University Stadium, were expected to lift the second-tier Asian continental title but were undone by a clinical Gamba Osaka performance.
The decisive moment came in the 29th minute when Deniz Hummet latched onto Issam Jebali’s pass and calmly slotted past the goalkeeper from the edge of the area.
Despite dominating possession and piling pressure on the visitors throughout the second half, Al Nassr failed to find an equaliser as Gamba Osaka held firm to secure a famous victory.
Coach Jorge Jesus admitted his side were caught off guard early in the match.
“We had prepared well but they were very fast and they surprised us,” the Portuguese manager said.
“For the first 30 minutes, we were not at our best but after that, we dominated. They only had one opportunity and they scored from it.”
Earlier in the week, Ronaldo and Al Nassr were denied a chance to seal the Saudi Pro League title after a late own goal by goalkeeper Bento handed Al Hilal a dramatic 1-1 draw.
Reacting after that game, Ronaldo posted on X: “The dream is close. Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the amazing support tonight!”
Al Nassr still have an opportunity to end the season with silverware as they lead Al Hilal by two points heading into the final round of league fixtures.
The club will host Damac on Thursday, while Al Hilal travel to face Al Fayha on the same evening.
“We didn’t get what we wanted here but there is one more final for us, the Saudi Pro League title, which is very important to us,” Jesus said.
“We have five days to recover and prepare and there is no time for grieving. We have to get going again.”
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