Saudi Arabia giants Al-Nasssr will be arriving in India on Monday for their AFC Champions League 2 match against FC Goa, scheduled to be played at the Fatorda Stadium on October 22, but they could be without their captain and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. According local media reports, the Portuguese great has a clause in his contract with Al-Nassr which gives him the right to pick and choose the games that he will play outside of Saudi Arabia.
FC Goa and Al-Nassr had been drawn into the same group in the AFC Champions League 2, the second tier continental competition in Asian football. This meant that the two sides will face each other twice, once each in Margao and Riyadh. However, according to Saudi Arabia’s sports newspaper Al Riyadhiah, Ronaldo will not be part of the travelling squad for the fixture in Goa on October 22 despite multiple requests from the Indian club.
It is understood that his contract with Al-Nassr has a clause giving him the right to pick and choose matches outside Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo, who is looking to play in next year’s World Cup, is also focussed on managing his workload and give himself a chance to compete in the showpiece. Moreover, Al-Nassr have won both their group-stage fixtures of Asian AFC Champions League 2 in the absence of Ronaldo, and are poised to advance to the next round. After their match against FC Goa, Al-Nassr will be taking on rivals Al Ittihad in a round of 16 clash of the Kings Cup on October 28.
Ronaldo’s visit to Goa will be moment of great pride for state: CM Pramod Sawant
While there has always been uncertainty around Ronaldo’s participation in the match, it has done little to dampen the excitement in the state for the Portuguese great’s potential visit. At an award ceremony to felicitate football players last week, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant too echoed the sentiment.
“The news about Cristiano Ronaldo’s possibility of visiting Goa has created huge excitement among football fans, not only in Goa but across India,” he said. “Ronaldo is one of the great footballers of all time. His visit to Goa will be a moment of great pride for the state. Ronaldo’s presence will inspire thousands of young players and will put Goa firmly on the global sports tourism map. For Goans, who live and breathe football, his visit…would be a celebration of passion, excellence and the unifying power of the beautiful game”.
FC Goa had defeated former AFC Cup winners, Al Seeb, to qualify for ACL 2, and were then drawn alongside Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in Group D of the tournament.
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