CRISTIANO RONALDO became the first player to score in FIVE World Cups in his first game since THAT interview.
But he was forced to share the limelight with whizkids Joao Felix and Rafael Leao whose strikes chalked off Andre Ayew’s leveller and ensured a Portugal victory.
Portuguese megastar Ronaldo had made it a jaw-dropping 118 goals in 192 Portugal appearances by converting a second-half penalty to down Ghana.
Cries of ‘Siu’, the sound to his iconic celebration, belted around Doha’s Stadium 974 as his adoring fanbase went wild.
It capped Ronaldo’s first performance since he sent the footballing world potty – and sparked his own acrimonious split from Manchester United – with his internet-breaking chat with Piers Morgan on Talk TV.
Ex-Swansea star and Ghana captain Andre Ayew had threatened to take the shine off Ronaldo’s evening when levelling eight minutes later.
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But Bruno Fernandes – now an ex-United colleague of Ronaldo – set up both Felix and Leao to seal the win.
Ghana sub Osman Bukari also netted with a late header and had the temerity to do his own ‘Siu’ celebration – which did not go down well with an already-subbed Ronaldo.
All eyes were on Ronaldo from the off after his Old Trafford split had been all anyone wanted to talk about in the build-up to Portugal’s campaign.
He looked pumped in the warm-up, where he was greeted with huge cheers from his supporters, and looked like he had something to prove.
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But Bruno Fernandes – now an ex-United colleague of Ronaldo – set up both Felix and Leao to seal the win.
Ghana sub Osman Bukari also netted with a late header and had the temerity to do his own ‘Siu’ celebration – which did not go down well with an already-subbed Ronaldo.
All eyes were on Ronaldo from the off after his Old Trafford split had been all anyone wanted to talk about in the build-up to Portugal’s campaign.
He looked pumped in the warm-up, where he was greeted with huge cheers from his supporters, and looked like he had something to prove.
Ronaldo also appeared to well up when singing A Portuguesa, his nation’s ultra-patriotic national anthem ahead of his own fifth World Cup.
His first half display appeared to sum up why United were willing to wash their hands of the 37-year-old.
Ronaldo had Portugal’s best two chances but fluffed both of them, proving how he is not the player he once was and therefore deemed not worth the trouble.
His first saw him played clean through by Otavio but his touch was heavy and allowed the goalkeeper to rush out to block his shot.
Ronaldo then made a characteristically-stratospheric leap to meet Raphael Guerreiro’s cross but his header went weakly wide.
The former Real Madrid icon did have the ball in the net just after the half hour but a foul had already been given for his push on the defender.
His moment finally arrived in the 65th minute after a somewhat soft penalty had been given when he fell to the ground under a challenge from Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu.
Ronaldo kept his cool and smashed the spot-kick past stopper Lawrence Ati-Zigi for his moment of history.
Ayew had not read the script though and levelled when converting a cutback from Mohammed Kudus – tipped by many to be a world star.
Order was restored when Fernandes sent through Atletico Madrid man Felix, 23, who clipped the ball over the advancing keeper and into the net.
Fernandes then teed up AC Milan goal-getter Leao to net with his first touch and put some daylight between the two sides.
Ronaldo had a chance to make it four when sent racing past the Ghana backline but he could not beat Ati-Zigi.
The former Red Devil, who turns 38 in February, was then withdrawn with the game looking done as a contest.
But sub Bukari had other ideas as he found the corner with a header – before pulling off his cheeky Ronaldo impression in celebration, leaving the real deal looking less than impressed in the dugout.
Ronaldo watched on in horror towards the end of NINE minutes of injury time as Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa almost had a Shay Given moment when putting the ball on the floor, not realising Inaki Williams was behind him.
Williams raced round him, just as Coventry striker Dion Dublin did Newcastle stopper Given in 1997, and nicked the ball.
But unlike Dublin, he could not find the net and Costa got away with it.
Ronaldo was fuming with his goalkeeper after the final whistle eventually blew – as his first game back was almost ruined by such a moment of madness.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
