Saudi Gazette report

ALQASSIM — Al Ittihad surrendered their position atop the Roshn Saudi League standings after being held to a dramatic 1-1 draw by Al Fayha at King Abdullah Sports City in Buraidah on Saturday.

A cagey first half made way for an eventful second period, with both teams creating moments of tension and drama.

Despite Al Ittihad dominating large spells, Laurent Blanc’s men failed to capitalize on two penalties, ultimately salvaging a point through a late equalizer.

The game’s turning point seemed imminent 12 minutes into the second half when Al Ittihad were awarded a penalty following a handball by Al Fayha’s Spanish midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo.

However, Karim Benzema, aiming to edge closer to the league’s top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, was thwarted by Al Fayha goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera, who pulled off an impressive save.

Benzema came close to redeeming himself in the 65th minute. The French striker broke free down the left and attempted a delicate lob over Mosquera, but his effort sailed narrowly wide of the far post.

The drama heightened in the 86th minute when Al Ittihad earned another penalty after Chris Smalling handled a cross inside the box.

This time, Houssem Aouar stepped up, but Mosquera once again emerged as the hero, diving brilliantly to deny the former Lyon star and keeping Al Fayha in the game.

The deadlock was finally broken in the first minute of added time when Fashion Sakala produced a moment of magic.

The Zambian forward embarked on a scintillating solo run from his half, weaving past Abdulelah Hawsawi and Danilo Pereira before firing a precise left-footed shot into the bottom corner.

The goal not only gave Al Fayha the lead but also made Sakala the club’s all-time top scorer in the Roshn Saudi League with 24 goals.

With their top spot at stake, Al Ittihad responded almost immediately. In the 93rd minute, Steven Bergwijn surged down the left flank and delivered a pinpoint cross to the far post, where right-back Fawas Al Saqour controlled the ball and struck it into the net, securing a crucial equalizer.

The final whistle signaled shared spoils, with Al Ittihad dropping to second place due to an inferior goal difference to Al Hilal, who now top the table.

Meanwhile, Al Fayha, sitting in 16th place, reduced the gap to safety to just three points, keeping their survival hopes alive.