Fashion Sakala has been in terrific form since leaving Rangers for Saudi Arabia with Al-Fayha coach Vuk Rasovic ‘very thankful to the board’ for his £3 million acquisition.
At least, with Danilo, Abdallah Sima, Sam Lammers and even Cyriel Dessers starting to hit their trade at Ibrox, we can move on from that rather unhelpful narrative, many a pundit arguing that the forwards Rangers brought in to much expense over the summer were unable to even lace Fashion Sakala’s boots.
Now, consistency was never Sakala’s strong point. But the all-action Zambia international is still remembered with a great deal of fondness by most Rangers supporters, the relentless work ethic which made him such a cult hero at Ibrox earning Sakala plenty of admirers in the Middle East too.
Fashion Sakala thriving after Rangers exit
“I am very thankful to the board for bringing him here,” smiles Raskovic, the Al-Fayha coach speaking to the Glasgow Times. “We had long conversations with Rangers to bring him and, in the end, he came. I’m glad he did.
“He enjoys playing football and he always plays with a smile. I’ve told him he must score more goals. But I saw his hug with (former Rangers boss) Steven Gerrard and joked with him ‘ah, now I know why you didn’t score!’”
Sakala might not have found the net against Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq last time out – the game ending in a stalemate – but a return of six goals and two assists from 13 Saudi Pro League games is not to be sniffed at, Al-Fayha placed comfortably in mid-table.
‘A wonderful boy’
“You could see in the game against us that he was a threat. And I’m glad he never scored because I wouldn’t have heard the end of it! But I love Fashion Sakala,” Gerrard says via Rangers Review. “He’s a special boy, and he should never change.
“Fashion Sakala is one of the nicest, most humble guys I have ever met, never mind coached. He’s a wonderful boy. He’s happy, he’s bright, he wants to learn every day, and he appreciates being a professional footballer.
“He was a joy to coach and work with and I’m so happy that he is doing well here.”
Averaging a goal almost every other game in Saudi Arabia, Sakala is currently outscoring far bigger names such as Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessie, Karl Toko Ekambi, Odion Ighalo, Roberto Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin and Sergeij Milinkovic-Savic.
