Chipolopolo captain Fashion Sakala Jr opened his goalscoring account for the season with a superb individual effort as Al-Fayha were held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League.
Sakala put Al-Fayha back in front in the 57th minute with a goal that showcased both his pace and individual quality, only for Julien Domingues to rescue a point for the visitors late on.
Al-Fayha made the brighter start and took the lead after just five minutes through Hugo Moura.
Moura’s effort from outside the box struck the crossbar and bounced down over the line before coming back into play. The referee’s goal technology had already confirmed the ball had crossed the line, however, and Al-Fayha were awarded the opener.
Al-Kholood responded strongly and were rewarded in the 14th minute when Iker Kortajarena capitalised on a poor pass at the back before calmly slotting the ball into the net to make it 1-1.
Sakala was a constant threat for Al-Fayha in the first half, having an effort blocked and another shot going wide as the hosts looked to regain the lead.
He finally got his reward 12 minutes after the restart.
Receiving the ball on the left, Sakala drove forward before cutting inside with a trademark chop to create space. The Zambia international then unleashed a powerful low strike which beat Al-Kholood goalkeeper Hamed Al Shanqiti to put Al-Fayha 2-1 ahead.
The goal was Sakala’s first of the campaign and capped an influential performance from the Chipolopolo captain.
Al-Fayha looked on course to claim all three points and came close to extending their advantage late in the game. Sakala was also involved in another dangerous attack in the 87th minute, setting up Mohammed Al Dowaish, whose effort was saved by Al Shanqiti.
But Al-Kholood refused to give up.
With two minutes of normal time remaining, Domingues rose to meet a cross from Mansour Camara and produced a fine header that found the back of the net to level the scores at 2-2.
The late equaliser denied Al-Fayha victory and ensured the points were shared.
The result leaves Al-Fayha 10th in the Saudi Pro League with five points, while Al-Kholood climb to fourth on nine points.
For Sakala, however, the evening provided a welcome personal milestone as he finally got off the mark for the new season.
