Cristiano Ronaldo Scores 981 Career Goals As Al-Nassr Beats Neftchi Fergana After Missile Alert Delays AFC Champions League Match

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 981st career goal as Al-Nassr edged out Uzbek club Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in an AFC Champions League Elite match played on Monday, October 12. Unfortunately, the game at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh was marred by a security alert that prompted officials to delay the start by an hour due to a potential aerial threat.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence had warned residents of the possible missile attack, which forced spectators to remain seated while officials assessed the situation and issued stadium announcements directing them to stay put.

Eventually, the match proceeded as scheduled despite the tense atmosphere. Al-Nassr struck first through Angelo Gabriel in the 33rd minute, and Ronaldo doubled the lead shortly before halftime via a well-coordinated move involving Sadio Mane and Aiman Yahya. Neftchi Fergana managed to pull one back in the second half with Alisher Odilov's goal, but their chances of a comeback were extinguished when Ikromjon Alibaev received a red card in the 65th minute.

Despite Ronaldo's milestone 981st goal, Al-Nassr ultimately secured the 3-1 victory when Anvarjon Gofurov committed an own goal in the 78th minute. The match, held in Riyadh, saw a sparse crowd as officials monitored the security situation. However, the players and their team went on to enjoy a hard-fought win in their continental campaign.