Photo: Wikimedia Commons (free licence), cropped and styled by SportNestra — author and licence
Al-Nassr’s match against Neftchi in the second matchday of the AFC Champions League Elite began more than 15 minutes late on Monday evening. A ballistic missile delayed kick-off as the scheduled start coincided with security developments in Riyadh.
A spokesperson for the coalition forces announced that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia towards Riyadh had been intercepted and destroyed. The episode unfolded while supporters were inside Al-Awwal Park to watch the Asian fixture.
As the delay continued, the stadium’s public-address system urged fans not to be afraid, to remain in their seats and not to leave the venue, assuring them that the situation was safe.
On the field, Al-Nassr entered the second matchday looking for a positive result in front of its supporters and a chance to make amends for its opening-day setback. The delayed start therefore disrupted the launch of an important match for the club’s ambitions in the league phase.
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FootballDelayed by an hour after a security alert in Riyadh, the match went ahead. Al Nassr beat Neftchi Fargonza 3-1 to claim their first win in the Asian Champions League.
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