Fashion Sakala
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 Sakala with Spartak-2 Moscow in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Junior Fashion Sakala[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 14 March 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Chipata, Zambia | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | 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 | 85 | (38) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Zambia U20 | 10 | (7) |
| 2019 | Zambia U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 2017– | Zambia | 41 | (11) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:03, 7 March 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:44, 31 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
Junior Fashion Sakala (born 14 March 1997) is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha and the Zambia national team.
Sakala played for Zambian clubs Nchanga Rangers and Zanaco, winning the Zambia Super League in 2016 with the latter. He signed for Spartak Moscow in February 2017. Sakala made no first-team appearances for the club, instead appearing for Spartak-2 Moscow in the second tier of Russian football. He joined Belgian club KV Oostende in July 2018, where he scored 31 goals in 102 appearances over three seasons. He joined Rangers on a free transfer in 2021, where he won the Scottish Cup and scored 24 goals in 91 appearances.
Sakala was a member of the Zambia under-20 team that won the 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations. He made his senior international debut in September 2017.
Early career
Sakala began his senior career in Zambia with Nchanga Rangers and Zanaco.[2] He helped Zanaco win the Zambia Super League in 2016.[3] In February 2017, he signed a three-year contract with Russian Premier League club FC Spartak Moscow,[4] after being invited for a trial at their training camp in Cyprus.[5] He made his debut in the Russian Football National League for FC Spartak-2 Moscow on 23 March 2017, in a game against FC Baltika Kaliningrad.[6]
On 9 July 2018, he signed a three-year contract with Belgian club KV Oostende.[7]
Rangers
On 4 May 2021, with his Oostende contract due to expire in the summer, Sakala signed a pre-contract agreement with Scottish Premiership club Rangers on a four-year deal.[8] On 31 July, he made his official debut in a 3–0 win over Livingston in the league.[9] On 31 October, he scored his first hat-trick for Rangers in a 6–1 league victory over Motherwell.[10] On 4 October 2022, Sakala made his UEFA Champions League debut as a substitute in a 2–0 away loss against Liverpool.[11]
Al-Fayha
On 8 August 2023, Sakala joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha on a two-year contract.[12][13]
On 11 January 2025, in a game vs Al-Ittihad Sakala scored to become Al-Fayha's all time top goal scorer in the RSL, with 24 goals, surpassing Ronnie Fernandez and Danilo Asprilla.[14]
International career
Youth level
Sakala played youth international football for Zambia at under-20 and under-23 levels.[15] He featured for the Zambia under-20 team that won the 2017 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 the 2017 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 the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.[19]
Senior level
Sakala made his debut for the senior Zambia national team on 2 September 2017, in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Algeria, and was sent off for two bookings in the 56th minute.[20][21]
In December 2023, he was included in the squad of twenty-seven Zambian players selected by Avram Grant to compete in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
On 10 December 2025, Sakala was called up to the Zambia squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[22]
