Sakala vs. Barrow: RSL's unfailing African hotshots go head-to-head

All eyes might be on the Saudi Clasico this weekend, but one of the more fascinating fixtures of this round will take place well away from the bright lights of Jeddah in the more serene surrounds of Al Majma’ah.

It pits the home side, 10th-placed Al Fayha, against Al Taawoun in third, as both teams look to continue their impressive starts to the 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League.

It will also throw into direct confrontation two RSL stalwart African strikers: Al Fayha’s Fashion Sakala and Al Taawoun’s Musa Barrow.

While Thursday’s middle match may not attract as many eyeballs as the Clasico, there is plenty on the line here for both sides even this early in the season.

For Al Taawoun, with Pericles Chamusca back in the charge after his heroics in 2023-24, lightning looks like striking twice.

After climbing to third with a 6-1 hammering of Damac on Sunday, the Buraidah club are out to record their fifth straight victory and cement their place in the upper echelons of the league table - ahead of both Clasico combatants, Al Hilal and Al Ittihad.

It would be surprising if we hadn’t seen this from them before, but we have. Whether it is sustainable across an entire campaign remains to be seen, but Al Taawoun have shown more than enough to suggest they’ll have a big role to play this term.

Especially if the form of Barrow in the opening weeks can be replicated across the season.

Musa Barrow: in-form forward thriving at Al Taawoun after shining in Serie A

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The Gambian international has burst out of the blocks, with three goals and three assists, the only surprise being that he didn’t get on the scoresheet in that superb triumph last time out.

But he did manage an assist, for Al Taawoun's fourth goal, scored by Roger Martinez. It marks the fourth straight game Barrow has either scored or contributed an assist, the longest streak of any Al Taawoun player since Alejandro Romero’s six-match run between March and May 2023.

In fact, with three assists in five rounds, Barrow has already matched his assists tally of last season in only five matchweeks. It is a sign of how influential and how much of a threat he is for Chamusca’s side, playing on the left side of a front three in the Brazilian’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.

But just as Al Fayha need to stop Barrow, so too Al Taawoun need to nullify Sakala. The Zambian winger might not boast the same numbers as Barrow this season - one goal, one assist - but since signing from Scottish giants Rangers in August 2023, his numbers aren’t dissimilar. In fact, they’re slightly better.

Ostensibly left wingers, they’re also both now in their third season in the RSL, with Sakala’s tally sitting at 28 goals and 11 assists compared to Barrow’s 22 goals and eight assists.

While their 10th place in the table might, on the surface, not look as impressive as Al Taawoun’s third - both have only lost once in the RSL this season - Al Fayha’s lower position comes because of drawing two more games.

One of those, however, was last Friday’s impressive 1-1 draw against defending champions Al Ittihad. It was Al Fayha who took the lead in that one courtesy of - who else? - but Sakala himself.

While the hosts at Al Majma’ah Sports City were perhaps lucky to take a share of the spoils, with Karim Benzema seeing a late penalty saved by Orlanda Mosquera, it was a well-earned point, nonetheless.

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However, it is up front where both Al Fayha and Al Taawoun will seek to shoot for the stars again in their Matchweek 6 meeting.

With Sakala and Barrow still in their mid-to-late 20s, their pedigree speaks for itself: Barrow arrived in the Kingdom from Serie A’s Bologna, and Sakala from Rangers. With age on their side, they could create lasting legacies at their respective RSL clubs.

Seeing the two African flyers go head-to-head this weekend will be a joy to behold. The Clasico may, understandably, garner most of the headlines, but this battle represents one of the standouts of what is sure to be another thrilling weekend of action across the Kingdom.