‘I personally embraced’ - Ekong expresses joy playing against Cristiano Ronaldo

The Nigerian captain faced Ronaldo for the second time in the Saudi Pro League when Al Kholood visited the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on September 14.

With the Nigerian international leading the defence, Al Kholood successfully kept Al Nassr scoreless in the first half.

However, the match shifted after the break, as goals from Sadio Mané and Iñigo Martínez secured a 2-0 victory for Al Nassr.

In a recent interview, Troost-Ekong spoke about the experience of playing against Ronaldo, admitting it was a major occasion for him and an opportunity to test his abilities.

"Playing against Ronaldo's Al Nassr was something the team and I personally embraced by putting on a good performance and going toe-to-toe with one of the league’s giants," Troost-Ekong said.

"Having met Ronaldo on the pitch previously, both in Italy and England, it was an honourable challenge to go head-to-head with one of the all-time greats of the game."

"Having managed to win against him in both Serie A and the Premier League, the game and how it was unfolding gave hope of a similar ending," he added.

"When I first came to Saudi Arabia, I wanted to be part of this grand footballing project, and one of the biggest attractions was the opportunity to play, not only with top-level footballers on a daily basis but also against some of the very best this generation has produced."

"Defending against new players like João Félix and Kingsley Coman, and the rest of Al Nassr’s talented team, always fills me with a sense of pride," Troost-Ekong concluded.

Troost-Ekong's Al Kholood is currently eighth in the Saudi Pro League standings with six points from four matches.