Chipolopolo striker Fashion Sakala Jr. has established himself as one of the most dangerous attackers in the Saudi Pro League, barely nine months after making the switch from Rangers FC to Al Fayha.
The 27-year-old notched a brace against ex-gaffer Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq, who suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Panthers on Friday.
That double took the Zambian’s season tally to 16 goals in 28 league games, netting nine times in his last eight appearances. Despite suffering an unexpected exodus from Scotland last summer, he has settled well in Saudi Arabia, tormenting defenses with his goal-scoring prowess and trickery.
Prior to his newly found form in the Middle East, Sakala received a lot of criticism from fans and pundits alike over his lack of efficiency in front of goal and his wasteful dribbling.
However, the winger has been firing on all cylinders for Al Fayha, particularly after being omitted from the Chipolopolo squad for the Four Nations Tournament in Malawi. Since that setback in late April, he has registered six goals and an assist in only four Saudi Pro League games.
The 2023–24 season has been a testament to how Sakala’s game has matured. A comparison of the list of players with the most direct goal contributions and successful dribbles, as provided by the statistical rating platform Sofascore, reveals this.
Sakala is the only player in the Saudi Pro League who makes both top five lists of players with the most direct goal contributions and successful dribbles.
Most direct goal contributions in the 2023–24 Saudi Pro League (goals + assists)
| NAME | COUNTRY | CLUB | NUMBER OF GOAL CONTRIBUTION |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Al Nassr | 42 |
| Aleksandar Mitrovic | Serbia | Al Hilal | 28 |
| Abderrazak Hamdallah | Morocco | Al Ittihad | 22 |
| Fashion Sakala | Zambia | Al Fayha | 21 |
| Firas Al-Buraikan | Saudi Arabia | Al Ahli | 21 |
Most successful dribbles in 2023–24 Saudi Pro League
| NAME | COUNTRY | CLUB | DRIBBLES |
| Allan Saint Maximin | France | Al Ahli | 84 |
| Fashion Sakala | Zambia | Al Fayha | 78 |
| Amir Saayoud | Algeria | Al Raed | 72 |
| Salem Al Dawsari | Saudi Arabia | Al Hilal | 68 |
| Lucas Zelarayan | Armenia | Al Fateh | 68 |
Hence, Sakala has proven to be the ultimate player when it comes to delivering goalscoring numbers and possessing the dribbling skill to mesmerize crowds and bamboozle defenders.
The Copper Bullet star will be banking on his current club form to get him back into the Chipolopolo squad for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Morocco and Tanzania in June.
