Junior Fashion Sakala (born 14 March 1997) is a Zambian professionalfootballer who plays as aforward forSaudi Pro League clubAl-Fayha and theZambia national team.
 Sakala withSpartak-2 Moscow in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Junior Fashion Sakala[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-03-14)14 March 1997 (age 28) | ||
| Place of birth | Chipata, Zambia | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Al-Fayha | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | Nchanga Rangers | ||
| 2016–2017 | Zanaco | ||
| 2017–2018 | Spartak-2 Moscow | 35 | (10) |
| 2017–2018 | Spartak Moscow | 0 | (0) |
| 2018–2021 | KV Oostende | 80 | (24) |
| 2021–2023 | Rangers | 59 | (21) |
| 2023– | Al-Fayha | 49 | (26) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Zambia U20 | 10 | (7) |
| 2019 | Zambia U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 2017– | Zambia | 32 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:11, 15 February 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:56, 23 February 2024 (UTC) | |||
Sakala played for Zambian clubsNchanga Rangers andZanaco, winning theZambia Super League in 2016 with the latter. He signed forSpartak Moscow in February 2017. Sakala made no first-team appearances for the club, instead appearing forSpartak-2 Moscow in the second tier of Russian football. He joined Belgian clubKV Oostende in July 2018, where he scored 31 goals in 102 appearances over three seasons. He joinedRangers on a free transfer in 2021, where he won theScottish Cup and scored 24 goals in 91 appearances.
Sakala was a member of theZambia under-20 team that won the2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations. He made his senior international debut in September 2017.
Club career
editEarly career
editSakala began his senior career in Zambia withNchanga Rangers andZanaco.[2] He helped Zanaco win theZambia Super League in 2016.[3] In February 2017, he signed a three-year contract withRussian Premier League clubFC Spartak Moscow,[4] after being invited for a trial at their training camp in Cyprus.[5] He made his debut in theRussian Football National League forFC Spartak-2 Moscow on 23 March 2017, in a game againstFC Baltika Kaliningrad.[6]
On 9 July 2018, he signed a three-year contract with Belgian clubKV Oostende.[7]
Rangers
editOn 4 May 2021, with his Oostende contract due to expire in the summer, Sakala signed a pre-contract agreement withScottish Premiership clubRangers on a four-year deal.[8] On 31 July, he made his official debut in a 3–0 win overLivingston in the league.[9] On 31 October, he scored his first hat-trick for Rangers in a 6–1 league victory overMotherwell.[10] On 4 October 2022, Sakala made hisUEFA Champions League debut as a substitute in a 2–0 away loss againstLiverpool.[11]
Al-Fayha
editOn 8 August 2023, Sakala joinedSaudi Pro League clubAl-Fayha on a two-year contract.[12][13]
On 11 January 2025, in a game vsAl-Ittihad Sakala scored to becomeAl-Fayha's all time top goal scorer in the RSL, with 24 goals, surpassing Ronnie Fernandez and Danilo Asprilla.[14]
International career
editYouth level
editSakala played youth international football for Zambia atunder-20 andunder-23 levels.[15] He featured for the Zambia under-20 team that won the2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations,[16] scoring three goals at the tournament.[17] He also played for the under-20 team that reached the quarter-finals of the2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring four goals in the tournament.[18] He scored seven goals in ten appearances in total at under-20 level.[15] Sakala played one game for the Zambia under-23 team,[15] against Nigeria at the2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.[19]
Senior level
editSakala made his debut for the seniorZambia national team on 2 September 2017, in a2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstAlgeria, and was sent off for two bookings in the 56th minute.[20][21]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 17 January 2025[22]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Spartak-2 Moscow | 2016–17 | Russian Football National League | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 31 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 10 | ||||||
| Total | 35 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 10 | ||||||
| KV Oostende | 2018–19 | Belgian Pro League | 24 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 9[c] | 2 | 38 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | 28 | 8 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 30 | 9 | |||||
| 2020–21 | 28 | 13 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5[c] | 3 | 34 | 16 | ||||
| Total | 80 | 24 | 8 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 5 | 102 | 31 | ||||
| Rangers | 2021–22 | Scottish Premiership | 30 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13[d] | 0 | — | 50 | 12 | |
| 2022–23 | 29 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5[e] | 0 | — | 41 | 12 | |||
| Total | 59 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 | — | 91 | 24 | |||
| Al-Fayha | 2023–24 | Saudi Pro League | 31 | 19 | 2 | 0 | — | 8[f] | 3 | — | 41 | 22 | ||
| 2024–25 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 44 | 25 | 5 | 0 | — | 8 | 3 | — | 57 | 28 | ||||
| Career total | 218 | 80 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 285 | 93 | ||
- ^IncludesBelgian Cup,Scottish Cup,King Cup
- ^IncludesScottish League Cup
- ^abAppearances in Belgian Pro League European play-offs
- ^Two appearances inUEFA Champions League, eleven appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^Appearances inAFC Champions League
International
edit- As of match played 24 January 2024[23]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zambia | 2017 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 32 | 9 | |
- Scores and results list Zambia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sakala goal.[23]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 June 2019 | Zayed Sports City Stadium,Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  Ivory Coast | 1–0 | 1–4 | Friendly |
| 2 | 10 October 2021 | National Heroes Stadium,Lusaka, Zambia |  Equatorial Guinea | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 13 November 2021 | National Heroes Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia |  Mauritania | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 3–0 | |||||
| 5 | 4–0 | |||||
| 6 | 16 November 2021 | Stade Hammadi Agrebi,Tunis, Tunisia |  Tunisia | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 23 March 2023 | Levy Mwanawasa Stadium,Ndola, Zambia |  Lesotho | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 8 | 17 October 2023 | Al Hamriya Sports Club Stadium,Al Hamriyah, United Arab Emirates |  Uganda | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 17 November 2023 | Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia |  Congo | 3–2 | 4–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
editZanaco
Rangers
- Scottish Cup:2021–22[24]
- Scottish League Cup runner-up:2022–23[25]
- UEFA Europa League runner-up:2021–22[26]
Zambia U20
References
edit- ^"FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017: List of Players"(PDF).FIFA. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 25 December 2018.
- ^"Fashion returns from trials…looks set to spearhead Zanaco".zambianfootball.co.zm. 8 February 2017. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Zanaco to face Rwandese side in CAF Champions League".zambianfootball.co.zm. 22 December 2016. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Deal done!! Fashion to Spartak Moscow".zambianfootball.co.zm. 14 February 2017. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Fashion Sakala impressing at Spartak Moscow".zambianfootball.co.zm. 1 February 2017. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Fashion Sakala makes debut for Spartak Moscow".zambianfootball.co.zm. 24 March 2017. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"NIEUWE AANVALLER: FASHION JUNIOR SAKALA" (in Dutch).K.V. Oostende. 9 July 2018.
- ^Sked, Joel (4 May 2021)."Rangers confirm signing of pacey Fashion Sakala on four-year deal".The Scotsman. Retrieved4 May 2021.
- ^"Aribo returns and Sakala makes Premiership debut in Rangers win over Livingston".Goal. 31 July 2021. Retrieved6 August 2021.
- ^"Motherwell 1-6 Rangers".BBC Sport. 31 October 2021. Retrieved31 October 2021.
- ^"Liverpool 2-0 Rangers". BBC Sport. 4 October 2022. Retrieved5 October 2022.
- ^"Fashion Sakala: Zambia forward joins Al-Fayha after exiting Rangers 'with heavy heart'".BBC Sport. 8 August 2023. Retrieved9 August 2023.
- ^"الزامبي فاشون سكالا جونيور فيحاوي حتى 2025".alfiha.com. 8 August 2023. Retrieved9 August 2023.
- ^"Historic Sakala goal ends Al Ittihad winning run".SPL.com.sa. 11 January 2025. Retrieved12 January 2025.
- ^abc"F. Sakala's matches".besoccer.com. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Hosts Zambia beat Senegal to win the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations".BBC Sport. 12 March 2017. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Fashion Sakala U20 Africa Cup 2017 Zambia".worldfootball.net. 12 February 2022. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Italy knock Zambia out of Under-20 World Cup".BBC Sport. 5 June 2017. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Big Blow! : Fashion Sakala ruled of the U23 AFCON tournament".zambianfootball.co.zm. 14 November 2019. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"2018 World Cup: Algeria beaten in Zambia as Ivory Coast win in Gabon".BBC Sport. 2 September 2017. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^"Kennedy Mweene encourages red-carded Fashion Sakala".africanfootball.com. 5 September 2017. Retrieved16 December 2022.
- ^ab"F. Sakala".Soccerway. Retrieved24 May 2024.
- ^abc"Fashion Sakala".National Football Teams. Retrieved23 February 2024.
- ^"Rangers 2-0 Hearts".BBC Sport. 21 May 2022. Retrieved21 May 2022.
- ^Moffat, Colin (26 February 2023)."Kyogo strikes twice as Celtic beat Rangers in final".BBC Sport. Retrieved26 February 2023.
- ^"Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Rangers".BBC Sport. 18 May 2022. Retrieved18 May 2022.
- ^"FULLTIME – COSAFA U20: South Africa 1 Zambia 2 – Final". 16 December 2016. Retrieved6 July 2021.
External links
edit
- Fashion Sakala at Soccerbase
- Fashion Sakala at Soccerway
- Fashion Sakala at National-Football-Teams.com