Fashion Sakala etched his name into the annals of Saudi Pro League history, breaking Al Fayha’s scoring record in their one-all draw with Al Ittihad on Saturday. The Zambian’s late goal brought the visitors’ winning streak to a halt, forcing them to settle for just a point.
Going into the fixture, Al Ittihad were at the summit of the Saudi Pro League, eyeing their 10th consecutive victory against an Al Fayha outfit that sat in the relegation zone.
However, the first half proceeding left little to be desired, particularly for a star-studded Al Ittihad, whose dominance of possession could not fashion a single shot on target.
The away side ramped up their play in the second half and earned two penalties following handballs from Alejandro Pozuelo and Chris Smalling in the 56th and 86th minutes, respectively. Al Fayha’s goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera was indomitable between the sticks, saving both Karim Benzema and Houssem Aouar’s spot-kicks.
Sakala took matters into his own hands, dispossessing Abduleallah Hawsawi, before going on a solo run, bamboozling Danilo Pereira and finding the bottom right corner. His 91st minute opener was eventually cancelled out just two minutes later by substitute Fawaz Al-Sagour.
“Poor Boy With A BigBig”Heart”—fashion.
With his 24th goal on Saturday, Sakala broke the record for the most goals scored for Al Fayha in Saudi Pro League history. He eclipsed Danilo Asprilla and Ronnie Fernández, who both registered 23 league goals each for the Panthers.
“Great performance from the team against a tough team and important point for us,” wrote Sakala after the match.
The Chipolopolo star registered the most created chances (2), successful dribbles (5), opposition box touches (8), recoveries (12) and ground duels won (7) against Al Ittihad.
On his record-breaking goal, he reacted, “History made. Poor boy with a big heart”
Hailing from a humble background, the Zambian striker has not only been a record-breaker on the pitch but has given back to his community through youth tournaments, wheelchair and food donations.
Sakala has been Al Fayha’s talisman since they snapped him up from Rangers FC for €4.65 million in 2023. Ranked 17th in the log, the club will now be banking on him to help them survive relegation as they take on fellow strugglers Al Okhdood in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday.
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