Cristiano Ronaldo fired home his fourth goal of the season as Al Nassr continued their winning run under new coach Stefano Pioli in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo was on target from the penalty spot in a 2-0 victory over 10-man Al Wehda on Friday night.
Al Nassr dominated the first-half and were reward for their persistence in the 41st minute as Angelo latched on to Sadio Mane's throughball to put his team ahead.
Al Nassr were then awarded a penalty in the 56th minute after Sultan Al Ghannam was fouled. Ronaldo stepped up and converted for the spot.
It was a setback for Al Wehda as they had shown some fight after going behind. Youssef Amyn flashed a shot wide on the stroke of half-time while Juninho Bacuna forced Bento into a good save after the restart.
Mane thought he had added a third goal, but it was ruled out after Ronaldo was found to be offside during the build-up.
It all fell apart for Al Wehda when Waleed Bakshween received a second yellow card for dissent in the 86th minute.
It was Al Nassr’s third consecutive win under new manager Stefano Pioli, who had replaced Luis Castro earlier in the month.
Ronaldo thus continued his fine form this season, scoring his 903rd career goal.
Al Nassr moved to third in the Saudi Pro League standings, just one point behind leaders Al Ittihad and Al Hilal, who are both on 12 points.
Earlier, Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said Neymar is not ready for an imminent return.
The Brazilian star signed for the Riyadh team in August 2023 but played just five games before he underwent surgery after rupturing his meniscus and ACL in his left knee while on international duty.
After Neymar, 32, returned to training in July, speculation grew that he was close to a return but coach Jesus dampened expectations.
“Neymar is an important player for Al Hilal and the league in general,” Jesus had said. “I can’t, however, specify a date as to when he will return but we will look at the situation in January.”
On Friday, Brazil coach Dorival Jr said that he would wait until Neymar is fully fit to bring him back into the national squad as he announced the roster for October's South American qualifiers.
"We'll wait, we'll be patient, it doesn't matter if he can't come back in October, November or even February. He needs to be confident, he needs to play and above all he needs to be completely healed from this injury," Dorival said.
"We are starting to realise how important he is. If he returns in the coming years, we will have one of the greatest players in world football at a remarkable moment in his career and in our national team," he added.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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