Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has admitted that playing against Cristiano Ronaldo when Al Kholood locked horns with Al Nassr two weeks ago was a big moment for him, Soccernet.ng reports.
Troost-Ekong faced Ronaldo for the second time in the Saudi Pro League when his Al Kholood side traveled to the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on September 14.
With the Super Eagles star at the back, Al Kholood did a good job of stopping Al Nassr from scoring goals in the first half.
But things changed in the second half, with goals from Sadio Mane and Inigo Martinez sealing the 2-0 win for Al Nassr.
According to Sofascore, Super Eagles captain Troost-Ekong, who is also the skipper at Al Kholood, finished the game with a 6.3 rating after registering 12 clearances, one block, and one interception.
What Troost-Ekong Said About Playing Against Cristiano Ronaldo
In a recent interview, Troost-Ekong spoke about playing against Rinaldo, and he admitted that it was a big moment for him. He also saw it as an opportunity to prove his quality.
“Playing against Ronaldo’s Al Nassr was something the team and I personally embraced by putting on a good performance and going toe-to-toe with one of the league’s giants,” Troost-Ekong said.
“Having met Ronaldo on the pitch previously, both in Italy and England, it was an honorable challenge to go head-to-head with one of the all-time greats of the game.
“Having managed to win against him in both the Serie A and the Premier League, the game and how it was unfolding gave hope of a similar ending
“When I first came to Saudi Arabia, I wanted to be part of this grand footballing project, and one of the biggest attractions was the opportunity to play, not only with top-level footballers on a daily basis, but also against some of the very best this generation has produced.
“Defending against new players like Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman, and the rest of Al Nassr’s talented team, always fills me with a sense of pride,” Troost-Ekong concluded.
Troost-Ekong’s Al Kholood currently sit eighth on the Saudi Pro League table, with six points from four games, but they will be looking to tecord more wins and push higher up the table in the coming weeks.