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

Cristiano Ronaldo scored as Al-Nassr defeated Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, October 12. However, the match at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh was overshadowed by a security alert after Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence warned residents of a potential aerial threat, forcing officials to delay kick-off by an hour.

The fixture was originally scheduled to begin at 9:15 PM local time. However, the teams had to wait after the security alert was issued shortly before kick-off. A relatively sparse crowd remained in their seats as officials assessed the situation, while stadium announcements informed spectators that the match would proceed and asked them to remain in place.

Missile Alert Delays AFC Champions League Match

According to the Associated Press reports, a Saudi-led military coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh by Houthi rebels. At least three explosions were heard across the Saudi capital on Monday night. Civil Defence had also sent alerts to residents' mobile phones, advising them to remain calm and follow safety instructions. Authorities later confirmed that the immediate danger had passed.

Once the match began, Al-Nassr took the lead through Angelo Gabriel in the 33rd minute before Ronaldo doubled the advantage just before half-time. The Portuguese forward finished a well-worked move involving Sadio Mane and Aiman Yahya to score his side's second goal. The strike took Ronaldo's career tally to 981 goals, adding another milestone to his remarkable career.

Neftchi Fergana fought back in the second half, with Alisher Odilov reducing the deficit. However, the visitors' hopes of a comeback suffered a setback when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off in the 65th minute. Al-Nassr subsequently sealed the 3-1 victory through an own goal by Anvarjon Gofurov in the 78th minute. Despite the disruption caused by the security alert, Ronaldo and his teammates secured the win in their continental campaign.