Riyadh’s leading scorer and four more Saudi Arabia Under-21 stars in focus

Despite the pause in domestic football for the current international break, supporters in Saudi Arabia will still have the chance to watch several emerging talents in the Jawwy Elite League.

Four Saudi Under-21 league matches are being played during the break after previous fixtures were postponed because of logistical circumstances in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Batall Al-Harthi is among the players attracting the most attention. The Riyadh forward will face Neom when his side host them at the reserve ground at Al-Riyadh Club on Sunday in round six.

Al-Harthi goes into the match on the back of a notable performance in Riyadh’s 1-1 derby draw with Al-Nassr. He scored Riyadh’s only goal in the third minute, converting a penalty with a composed finish.

That strike took his season’s total to six in the Jawwy Elite League, placing him seventh in the scoring standings and three goals behind league leader Mousa Adam of Al-Ahli.

Al-Harthi is currently the leading scorer among clubs from the Saudi capital, despite the presence of two major sides in Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr and the quality of players in their squads.

Neom’s hat-trick hero

Neom will also have one of the league’s most in-form young players available for the fixture, with Ghaly Al-Shammari having made a major impact in recent weeks.

Al-Shammari was the standout performer in the previous round, scoring three times as Neom defeated Al-Watan 4-0. His hat-trick placed him among the players to have scored three goals in one match in this season’s competition.

The forward impressed with his movement off the ball, his ability to beat the offside trap and his positioning inside the penalty area. His goals came both from his feet and with his head, underlining the range of his attacking play.

The list of players to have scored hat-tricks this season also includes Mohammed Al-Essa of Al-Ettifaq, Jefferson Ramos of Al-Fateh, Ammar Al-Ghamdi of Al-Ittihad, Daniel Al-Habib of Al-Fayha and Ziad Aba of Al-Ahli.

Al-Okhdood’s bright spot

Noah Al-Yami has also emerged as a player to watch after scoring in each of Al-Okhdood’s past two matches.

He scored in the club’s only win of the season, a 3-2 victory over Damac in round nine, before finding the net again in a 3-2 defeat by Al-Tadhamon last time out.

Al-Okhdood sit 22nd with three points from one win and four defeats, but Al-Yami has scored two of the team’s five goals this season, accounting for 40%. He will seek a third consecutive game with a goal against Al-Jabalain in round six.

Al-Hazm and Al-Tadhamon threats

Senegalese striker Amadou Diang, who plays for defending champions Al-Hazm, is another forward in form. He scored in the 2-0 win over Al-Khaleej in round 10 and twice in a 5-0 victory against Al-Wehda in round eight, when he was selected among the five best players of the round.

Diang has six goals this season, putting him seventh in the scoring chart and three behind Mousa Adam.

In the same match against Al-Tadhamon, Nawaf Al-Jadawi will aim to continue his scoring run. He scored in a 3-3 draw with Al-Ahli in round seven, netted the winner against Al-Ansar in round eight and struck again in the 3-2 victory over Al-Okhdood in round 10.

Al-Jadawi has scored three of Al-Tadhamon’s nine goals this season, making him the club’s second-highest scorer behind Ziad Al-Shammari, who has four.