Ronaldo celebrates in the face of Toney amid cheating allegations

Dubai: Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al Nassr teammates wasted no time celebrating their victory in the faces of the Al Ahli players, with Ivan Toney appearing to receive special attention.

The football icon was on the scoresheet once again for Al Nassr as they defeated Saudi Pro League title rivals Al-Ahli 2-0 on Wednesday night.

The 41-year-old's header in the 76th minute broke the deadlock at Al-Awwal Park, moving Al Nassr eight points clear of second place Al Hilal and 13 clear of Al Ahli in third, though the chasing teams both have a game in hand.

As expected, it was a fiery clash between the two sides and a demanding night for the referee, who had to contend with constant challenges and heated protests from the players.

The added spice surrounding the fixture started a few weeks earlier, when Ivan Toney launched a sensational attack on the integrity of the SPL, suggesting that officials favour Ronaldo and Al Nassr.

The England international was left fuming after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Al Fayha, a result that severely dented their title aspirations.

After the match, Toney did not hide his frustration with the referee’s performance. When asked who he believed was benefiting from the controversial decisions, the former Brentford striker laughed and replied: “We know who, who are we chasing?”

This was clearly a direct reference to Al Nassr and potentially to their talisman, Ronaldo who is still yet to win the SPL title with his side.

Toney’s comments reached a boiling point during Wednesday night’s showdown, and when Kingsley Coman fired home the hosts’ second goal, Ronaldo was perfectly positioned to celebrate right in front of the Englishman.

The Portuguese star appeared to cheer in the face of Toney who was already reacting to Coman who purposely celebrated in front of him just moments before.

Ronaldo looks set to finally end his trophyless run with Al Nassr this season, the side need just two more wins from their last four games to claim the SPL title and also have an AFC Champions League 2 final to play.