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Al Nassr had won their appeal for three points after Al-Orubah fielded an ineligible player in their 2-1 win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Riyadh-based club.
Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. (X)
The Saudi Arabia Football Federation announced on Monday that Al Nassr had won their appeal for three points after Al-Orubah fielded an ineligible player in their 2-1 win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Riyadh-based club.
Al-Nassr went down to Al-Orubah in March but launched a complaint that the Orubah goalkeeper, Rafi Al-Ruwaili, was ineligible to play as he was not a full-time professional. The Saudi governing body ruled in favour of Al-Nassr to hand the side a boost in their quest for the AFC Champions League spot.
The decision came just hours before the final game week of the Saudi Pro League season, as Al Nassr jumped to P3 from the fourth place. Al Nassr, who are slated to take on Al-Fateh on Monday evening, stand a chance to break into the top two places with a win.
Second-placed Al-Hilal will square up against Al Qadsiah in their final game of the season, as they look to hold on to the second place, which guarantees them a place at the top-tier AFC event.
Champions Al-Ittihad have secured their place in the elite Asian event, while Monday’s ruling also condemned Al-Orubah to relegated.
Al Nassr starman Ronaldo, who has netted 24 times this season stands two ahead of second-placed Ivan Toney of Al Ahli and three strikes above third-placed Karim Benzema of Al Ittihad in the top scorers rankings. Ronaldo’s future with the club remains in doubt as reports suggest that the Portuguese superstar might be angling for a move to a club participating in the FIFA Club World Cup, slated to get underway on the 14th of June in the United States Of America.
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