Saudi Pro League: Mahrez and Sakala score, Bendebka and Batna come up just short against Hilal
- Andrew Olsson
- May 17
- 2 min read
The Saudi Pro League has two rounds remaining after Round 32 took place from Thursday to Saturday. African stars were among the contributors as Riyad Mahrez, Zambia's Fashion Sakala and Al Fateh's North African duo Sofiane Bendebka and Mourad Batna all scored on Friday and Saturday.
Riyad Mahrez continues to shine. After joining forces with Senegalese goalkeeper Édouard Mendy and Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessié to win the AFC Champions League with Al Ahli, Mahrez produced a brilliant free kick in Ahli's 4-1 victory over Al Kholood.
With Kessié and Mendy not in the team on Saturday, Mahrez and Ahli kept their hopes alive for a top-3 finish moving to within a point of third place Al Qadsiah.
Earlier on Saturday, Zambian striker Fashion Sakala applied the finishing touch in a 2-0 victory for Al Fayha over struggling Al Okhdoud. Currently outcasted from the Zambia national team, Sakala continues to show moments of magic in an inconsistent season that has seen the 28-year-old produce 8 goals and 4 assists in 29 league games.
In the most thrilling match from the round, on Friday it was Al Hilal who held off fierce resistance from in form Al Fateh for a 4-3 victory. Algerian playmaker Sofiane Bendebka scored twice in the opening 25 minutes.
Hilal came back to level early in the second half, setting up a dramatic finish. Moroccan forward Mourad Batna appeared to give Fateh a potential match winner in the 82nd minute on an assist from Bendebka.
However, Aleksander Mitrovic scored twice in the final minutes to give Hilal the victory and remain second on the table.
Friday's result marks a second consecutive defeat for Fateh but Bendebka and Batna have been instrumental to a remarkable second half revival that saw them climb from last place to being on the verge of avoiding relegation. They have combined for over half of Fateh's goals this season and the club are three points ahead of the relegation zone currently.
