ENGLAND striker Ivan Toney made his debut for Saudi club Al-Ahli as they drew 1-1 with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.
The 28-year-old joined Al-Ahli from Brentford for £40m on 31 August – and started their first game since then, playing the full 90 minutes.
Among his team-mates are ex-Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez and ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Franck Kessie, once of AC Milan and Barcelona, scored the opening goal for Toney’s side with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box.
But a Bassam al Hurayji own goal deep into injury time gave Al-Nassr a point.
Before the game Al-Nassr fans unveiled a tifo celebrating Ronaldo’s 900th career goal, scored for Portugal in the recent international break.
Meanwhile, manager Pep Guardiola says Manchester City’s Premier League rivals want to see the club punished for alleged breaches of the top flight’s financial rules.
Guardiola says he is glad the hearing into City’s 115 charges will begin on Monday.
City were charged and referred to an independent commission in February 2023 following a four-year investigation.
It is alleged City breached the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018.
City strongly deny all charges and have said their case is supported by a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence”.
Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s La Liga, is a long-time critic of City, owned by the Abu Dhabi-backed City Football Group and has repeatedly accused the them – together with Qatar-backed PSG – of being a state club and of “financial doping”.
