Fashion Sakala and Al Fayha will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League Round of 16. The live draw for the competition took place on Thursday at the AFC House in Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sixteen of Asia’s top sides, comprising clubs from East and West Asia, will go toe to toe in two-legged matches in their bid to win the continent’s most coveted club trophy.
The competition debutant, Al Fayha, will battle Al Nassr in what will be a Saudi-Arabian derby slated for February 2024.
Ronaldo and co. will pay a visit to the King Salman Stadium before hosting the Al Bartuqali at Al-Awwl Park in Riyadh.
Sakala was a talismanic figure for Al Fayha during qualification from the group stage. He scored three goals and provided two assists in six games for the Bartuqali.
Al Fayha will need to overcome high-flying Al Nassr if they are to continue their historic run in Asia’s premier competition.
Al Nassr eye their first AFL Champions League final since 1995, in which they lost 1-0 to South Korean outfit Ilhwa Chunwa FC. And with a player of the caliber of Ronaldo under their wings, the Riyadh club has all it takes to go all the way.
Back in Europe, Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals scored in the history of the UEFA Champions League (140), alongside the joint most titles (5) since 1992.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is often unplayable in continental club competitions, particularly in the knockout stages.
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Meanwhile, Al Hilal, who are without summer signing Neymar Jr., have been pitted against Iranian club Sepahan SC. Karim Benzema and Al Attihad will face Uzbekistan’s PFC Navbahor.
