One of Al-Nassr's stars sparked widespread controversy against Al-Diriyah, choosing to finish off a dangerous attack himself rather than square the ball to his Portuguese teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. The moment revived the old debate about selfishness on the pitch, and the desire of some players to steal the spotlight in big matches.
Ronaldo had opened the scoring in Al-Nassr's 3-0 win over Al-Diriyah on Friday evening, in the eighth round of the Saudi Roshn League. The "Al-Alami" captain continues his pursuit of a historic 1000th goal, and he shone throughout, creating chances on a lively night.
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Former Al-Nassr star Fahd Al-Hraifi weighed in on the controversial moment during his appearance on the programme "Dawrina Ghair". He admitted he had expected Kingsley Coman not to pass the ball to Ronaldo, though he would have made a different call in the Frenchman's shoes.
Al-Hraifi said: "When Coman broke clear in the attack I said he wouldn't pass it, but if I had been in his place I would have passed it to Ronaldo. However, Coman is under pressure and is aiming to achieve stardom in the league, and it seems Coman was more confident in himself and has a scoring instinct to find the net, and perhaps he thought Ronaldo was offside too. Even Ronaldo's morale was wonderful and he scored and created."
Coman's decision, Al-Hraifi explained, may stem from a desire to prove himself and leave his mark in the Roshn League, especially given the pressures that come with carrying a big name. Even so, he insisted the pass to Ronaldo was there to be made.
Controversy aside, Ronaldo looked in high spirits and stamped his authority on the win over Al-Diriyah. His focus on the pitch is clearly intact, and Al-Nassr keep piling up positive results as they chase the summit of the Saudi Roshn League.