Fahad Al-Harifi criticises Kingsley Coman after Ronaldo pass decision

Fahad Al-Harifi has criticised Kingsley Coman for choosing to shoot rather than pass to Cristiano Ronaldo during Al Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Al-Diriyah in the Roshn Saudi League.

The incident came during a dangerous attack when Coman had the opportunity to provide the ball to his Portuguese team-mate. Instead, he attempted to finish the move himself, prompting debate over whether the decision reflected individual ambition and a desire to take centre stage in an important match.

Ronaldo opened the scoring on Friday in the eighth round of the Roshn Saudi League, continuing his pursuit of the historic 1,000-goal milestone. The Al Nassr captain also created opportunities during the match and remained influential despite the controversy surrounding Coman’s decision.

Speaking on the television programme Dawrina Ghair, former Al Nassr player Al-Harifi said he had anticipated that Coman would not pass to Ronaldo, although he would have made a different choice in the same situation.

“When Coman went one-on-one in the match, I said he would not pass it,” Al-Harifi said. “But if I had been in his position, I would have passed to Ronaldo. Coman is under pressure and is aiming to achieve stardom in the league.

“It seems Coman had greater confidence in himself and had the scoring instinct to finish. He may also have thought that Ronaldo was offside. Even Ronaldo had excellent morale, and he scored and created chances.”

Al-Harifi suggested Coman’s actions may have been driven by the Frenchman’s wish to demonstrate his ability and make his mark in the Roshn Saudi League. He said players with major reputations can face considerable pressure, particularly when competing alongside a figure such as Ronaldo.

However, the former Al Nassr midfielder maintained that passing to Ronaldo was still a realistic option from his perspective. The decision therefore became the focus of discussion despite Al Nassr securing a comfortable victory.

Ronaldo’s response on the pitch was positive. He scored, contributed to the team’s attacking play and appeared in high spirits throughout the match, underlining that his concentration and influence remain intact.

The result extended Al Nassr’s run of positive results as they continue their challenge near the top of the Roshn Saudi League. For Ronaldo, the goal also kept his pursuit of 1,000 career goals moving forward, while the debate over Coman’s choice added another talking point to the victory.