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Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr managed to claim a close 1-0 win over Pitso Mosimane's new side in their latest encounter. This past weekend, nine-time Iranian champions Esteghlal FC confirmed the South African tactician as their new head coach after an erratic start to the campaign. The 60-year-old had been out of football management since leaving Abha Club in June after the Saudi Arabian outfit suffered relegation on the final day of the season.
One of the negative results that played a massive factor in that club's demotion from the Saudi Pro League was a comprehensive 8-0 loss to the Ronaldo-led Knights of Najd. While he was not in the Esteghlal dugout on Tuesday evening – he will only officially begin work with the team on Wednesday – a Mosimane side would once again take on the Saudi giants, this time in the AFC Champions League. Ronaldo managed to score a hat-trick during their 8-0 win over Abha last season, but against Esteghlal it was a solitary goal from former Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte that proved the difference as the Kagiso native's new team suffered a second straight defeat in the continental competition.
This leaves the Capital Blues in sixth position of Group B in the Champions League, meaning they are still in the knockout round qualification spots. The reason Iranian tactician Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh was in charge of Esteghlal for the game and not Mosimane was because the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly boss only arrived in the Gulf on the morning of the encounter. His first game in charge will come in the league, when the Blue Boys take on Kheybar, who are currently languishing in 13th position in the Persian Gulf Pro League standings.
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