Sadio Mane MISSES a penalty for Al-Nassr with regular taker Cristiano Ronaldo suspended… but the former Liverpool star recovers to net a brace in the 3-1 win over Al Feiha
- Sadio Mane missed a penalty on Friday as Al-Nassr fought back to beat Al Feiha
- Regular player Cristiano Ronaldo has never missed a penalty for the Saudi club
- Hope is not lost for Arsenal and it is wrong that Oleksandr Zinchenko is a scapegoat: listen to the It all starts podcast
Sadio Mane missed a penalty in Al-Nassr’s Saudi Pro League victory over Al Feiha on Friday.
Luis Castro’s side fell behind after just six minutes at Al-Awwal Stadium, with former Rangers striker Fashion Sakala firing the visitors into an unlikely lead.
Al-Nassr were without Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese superstar suspended after receiving a straight red card in last week’s Saudi Cup semi-final.
When the hosts won a penalty on the verge of half-time, Mane had the opportunity to equalize the match from twelve meters.
Ultimately, however, the Senegalese forward’s strike would fly well over the bar, with his side still trailing into the break.
Sadio Mané sent his penalty high over the bar in Al-Nassr’s match with Al Feiha on Friday
But the Senegalese forward made amends for his mistake with a quick brace in the 3-1 win
With the match approaching the closing stages, Al-Nassr were finally able to capitalize on their momentum when Saudi defender Abdulelah Al-Amri equalized the match after 72 minutes.
Having seized the initiative, the hosts pushed ahead and Mane made amends for his earlier mistake by firing them ahead in the 76th minute before adding a third moments later with a sublime solo run.
With victory in contention and qualification for next season’s AFC Champions League, Ronaldo shared his congratulations to his teammates in a social media post, writing: “Well done, team.”
While Mane certainly made amends for his error from the penalty spot, he is unlikely to take Ronaldo’s place as the club’s designated player in the near future.
After missing out due to suspension, Cristiano Ronaldo shared his congratulations on social media
Ronaldo has not missed a penalty since joining the Saudi Pro League last year
Since joining the club in January last year, the 39-year-old has a perfect penalty record, having taken all 14 penalties he has taken for the club, including penalties.
Ronaldo has not even missed a penalty since Manchester United were dumped out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough in February 2022, with Joe Lumley denying the five-time Ballon d’Or winner from the spot during regular time.