Al-Zawraa of Iraq will host Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr tomorrow in a tough match in the AFC Champions League 2, with Iraqi fans hoping to see the veteran Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo up close.

The match will take place at Al-Zawraa Stadium in Baghdad as part of the second round of Group D, and Ronaldo (40 years old), five-time best player in the world, is expected to visit Iraq for the first time.

Yahya Mohammed, a member of Al-Zawraa’s management, told AFP that “the club’s management obtained entry visas for 103 people within Al-Nassr’s delegation, including the Portuguese Ronaldo.”

He added, “It cannot be confirmed whether Ronaldo will attend in Iraq or not, as this depends on Al-Nassr’s management decision regarding the player’s presence with the team.”

Mohammed confirmed, “We have not received official notification regarding the official list of Al-Nassr’s delegation that will actually attend Baghdad.”

Al-Zawraa hopes to build on its successful start in the continental secondary tournament after winning its opening match 2-0 against Indian side Goa.

Last season’s league runner-up and record holder with 14 Iraqi league titles, Al-Zawraa has started this season without achieving its ambitions.

They failed to win in matches against Al-Talaba and Al-Karma, settling for 1-1 and 0-0 draws respectively.

However, Al-Zawraa coach Abdul Ghani Shahid considered the victory over Goa an important positive milestone in their Asian campaign.

He told AFP, “The win against Goa also places a big responsibility on us to maintain the same spirit in upcoming matches, including the match against Al-Nassr at our stadium.”

He added, “The tournament requires stamina and consistency in performance, and the players fully understand that the journey is still at its beginning.”

He continued, “Our team is currently more mature and balanced, and we have a group of influential players who helped improve performance.”

Al-Zawraa strengthened its squad by signing the Jordanian trio Abdullah Naseeb, Rizq Bani Hani, and Nizar Al-Rashdan, alongside Bahraini Mahdi Humaidan, Cameroonian Clarence Bitang, and renewing the contract with Nigerian Ibrahim Tomio.

They also signed international midfielders Mohammed Qasim, Akam Hashim, Durgham Ismail, and striker Hussein Lawandi, while retaining the experienced captain and goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, midfielder Hassan Abdul Karim, and defender Maitham Jabbar.

The coach explained, “The players have great experience alongside the motivation of young players, which has made Al-Zawraa more stable than before, and the results will improve with continuity, despite the important confrontation with Al-Nassr, which has many distinguished players.”

Al-Nassr, who won their opening match 5-0 against Tajikistan’s Istiklol and are coached by Portuguese Jorge Jesus, boasts a distinguished arsenal of players.

Besides Ronaldo, the Saudi league leaders with a perfect record from four matches include Senegalese Sadio Mane, Portuguese Joao Felix, French Kingsley Coman, and Spanish defender Inigo Martinez.

Regarding Ronaldo’s presence in Baghdad and Al-Zawraa’s match against Al-Nassr, Shahid said, “There is no doubt that Ronaldo is a global star and his presence adds special value to any match, but our focus will be on Al-Nassr as a whole team with distinguished names.”

He added, “For our fans, his presence will be an additional motivation, but we work to keep the players’ focus inside the pitch away from any external influences.”

Previously, Al-Zawraa lost 1-2 to Al-Nassr in the group stage of the AFC Champions League in 2023 at Karbala International Stadium, in Ronaldo’s absence.

Meanwhile, Al-Zawraa’s captain and goalkeeper Jalal Hassan told Furas Press, “Playing at our stadium and in front of our large crowd in the Asian tournament increases the responsibility on us as players, as Al-Zawraa is a popular club with a great history.”

He added, “Technical stability is very important, and today we have a complete group of international and professional players and influential local elements, and this diversity gives us a strong chance to compete.”

He concluded, “If the harmony in the team’s lines continues in this way, we will be able to go far in the tournament.”