“He told me it was for his children” – Saudi Pro League forward on heart-warming moment with Cristiano Ronaldo after match
Al Ta'ee forward Andrei Cordea recently revealed the wholesome condition he set before swapping shirts with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al-Nassr faced Al-Ta'ee in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, September 29 at home. Anderson Talisca gave the Knights of Najd in the 32nd minute. Despite the away team dominating for most of the game, Virgil Misidjan leveled the scores in the 79th minute.
Cordea and Al-Ta'ee were hopeful of securing an important point but Cristiano Ronaldo had other plans. Al-Nassr were awarded a penalty in the 87th minute, with the Portugal ace making no mistake from the spot.
Cordea explained how he was able to receive Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic No. 7 shirt. He said (via AS):
“At halftime, I told him [Alex Telles] to talk to Cristiano to give me the shirt. In the end, I was angry that he scored from the penalty in the 86th minute. I went to the locker room and he called out to me."
He continued:
“Cristiano Ronaldo is an extraordinary player, just like Messi. I was angry and went to the locker room. When I came back, he told me to give him the shirt too."
"We both gave each other the shirt, wished each other good luck and I told him, 'Don't leave it at the stadium because I'd rather give it to the children in the stands.' He told me it was for his children. He probably won't pass it on to the children, but it shows his character.”
Al-Ta'ee went on to lose the match 2-1. They are currently 16th in the league with seven points after nine games.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr held in frustrating 2-2 draw against Abha
Al-Nassr were in sensational form, winning 10 games in a row across all competitions. However, their streak was abruptly cut short as they were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw against Abha in the Saudi Pro League last night at home (October 6).
The Knights of Najd had a commanding lead, with Otavio breaking the deadlock in the third minute. Anderson Talisca doubled their advantage in the 28th minute with a calm finish.
Saad Bguir halved the deficit with a coolly taken penalty in the 36th minute. Both sides had numerous chances to add to the score but it was Abha who took full advantage of Al-Nassr's wastefulness.
Karl Tobo Ekambi unleashed a stunner into the top-left corner from distance in the 92nd minute to secure an important point. Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are now third in the SPL with 19 points from nine games, three behind leaders Al-Taawoun.