While scores of fans of diverse backgrounds turned up in the yellow colours of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr club at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium for the AFC Champions League quarterfinal match against Al Ain FC, many Emirati fans — and even some Omani football lovers — proudly wore the colours of Al Ain.
These fans arrived at the stadium at 3pm, five hours before the quarterfinal first leg match between Al Ain and Al Nassr on Monday.
Among the Al Ain supporters were Rashid and Hamad who drove from Al Buraimi, Oman, to Al Ain, hoping to see Ronaldo’s Al Nassr at the receiving end of a thrashing from the UAE giants. “We are from Oman, but we have always supported Al Ain, it’s our favourite club,” said Rashid.
Hamad, his childhood friend from Al Buraimi, revealed Al Ain is among the most popular football clubs in Oman. “Football doesn’t have boundaries. People may think that we have come here for Ronaldo — but no, we drove to Al Ain for the Al Ain Football Club. It’s a team we have supported since our childhood,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohammed, an Emirati fan from Abu Dhabi, was hoping for a big win for Al Ain. “Al Ain will win today. In the return leg in Saudi also, Al Ain will win. It will be a great match,” said Mohammed, who is a big Ronaldo fan.
“But today, I have not come here for Ronaldo. I have come here for Al Ain. I have always been a fan of Al Ain; it’s the biggest club in the UAE. We were the champions of Asia in 2003,” he said.
“Of course, I love Ronaldo as a footballer,” he explained. “I am a very big fan. But I want him to lose today. Sorry, Ronaldo. Al Ain is my team.”
Ismail, another Emirati football fan, even predicted the score of today’s game. “3-0 to Al Ain — we will thrash Ronaldo and Al Nassr today,” he said.
Ronaldo has returned from a suspension to lead Al Nassr’s challenge against Al Ain today in the AFC Champions League.