Zambian striker Fashion Sakala has had an incredible first season in Saudi Arabia and has emerged as one of the league’s most prolific players.
Al Fayha paid just €4.65 million to get the Chipolopolo star from Rangers FC, and he has proven to be a good bargain with 22 goals and 9 assists in 41 games across all competitions.
The 26-year-old propelled the AFC Champions League debutants Al Fayha to the knockout stage of the competition, scoring three times and providing two assists. He also inspired the Panthers to a record-breaking 44 points in the Saudi Pro League.
Against all expectations, Sakala outperformed a number of highly rated stars who also ditched European football to ply their trade in Saudi Arabia. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (35) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (28) have scored more goals than the Zambian in the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League.
“I am competing with big stars,” Sakala said in a trending leaked audio conversation with a Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) media officer, Sydney Mungala. “None of those stars have done better than me here [in Saudi Arabia].”
To confirm his statement, here is a list of the top players he has outperformed in the Saudi Pro League this season.
Karim Benzema
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner left Real Madrid last summer to play for then-Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad. However, Benzema, who was among the favorites to win the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot, only managed nine goals from 21 appearances.
Roberto Firmino
Firmino announced his arrival in the Saudi Arabian top flight with a hat-trick in his debut match against Al Hazem in August. Since then, the ex-Liverpool striker has only notched six goals in 31 league games.
Sadio Mane
While he had a decent first season for Al Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia, the Senegalese’s goalscoring numbers fell short of expectations. Mane, who scored over 20 goals in four of his last five seasons at Liverpool, failed to reach that tally in the Middle East.
Neymar Jr.
Al Hilal cashed in a mouth-watering €90 million to sign the Brazilian star from Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of the 2023–24 season. However, injuries have significantly impacted his career in Saudi Arabia. The forward has made just five appearances in all competitions for Al Hilal.
Allan Saint-Maximin
The Frenchman left Premier League outfit Newcastle United FC in 2023 to join Al Ahli in a deal worth €27.2 million. He has, however, only found the back of the net four times in 30 games in the Saudi Pro League.
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