Asian CL match canceled due to statue on field; Ronaldo makes his first
Monday, October 2, 2023 at 11:51 PM
Iranian Sepahan FC’s Asian Champions League match against Ittihad Club was canceled on Monday evening for a remarkable reason.
The Saudi top club, including Karim Benzema in its ranks, refused to play when upon arrival in Iran it turned out that a statue of a murdered Iranian general was on the field.
The statue was of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who had been designated a terrorist by Saudi Arabia. Soleimani was killed on January 3, 2020 when his vehicle column was attacked by a US drone after leaving the airport of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. That attack was ordered by then-President Donald Trump.
AFC, the association that organizes the Asian Champions League, refuses to comment on the matter. “The match has been canceled due to unexpected and unforeseen circumstances,” the statement said.
Al-Nassr – Istiklol 3-1
Another match in the Champions League, between Al-Nassr and Istiklol, could go ahead. The Saudi Arabian home club surprisingly fell behind in the first half against the club from Tajikistan, due to a goal by Senin Sebai.
Al-Nassr still took control of the game after the break. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the equalizer, after which two goals from Anderson Talisca proved enough for the victory.
It was Ronaldo’s first goal in the Asian Champions League. In the European equivalent, the Portuguese is the all-time top scorer with 140 goals.
2023-10-02 21:51:00
#Asian #match #canceled #due #statue #field #Ronaldo #Voetbalzone.nl
