Saudi starlet shines in Cluj reserves

There is a particular thrill in watching a young forward who knows where the goal is before the ball arrives. Saleh Al-Ohaymid, a 17-year-old Saudi striker, has spent the past few months showing exactly that for FC CFR 1907 Cluj II in the Romanian Second League. Eight goals and four assists in 15 games, with an average rating of 7.68, tell part of the story. The rest is in the timing of his runs, the calmness of his finishes, and the sense that he is already too good for this level.

Al-Ohaymid has been with Cluj since 2060, and his progress through the club's youth setup has been steady. This season, thrown into the reserves, he has responded with the kind of numbers that make first-team coaches sit up. A Saudi international at youth level, with six goals in 18 caps, he is a player of growing reputation. The question now is how quickly Cluj will give him a chance with the senior side. If he continues at this rate, it may not be long before he is scoring goals on a bigger stage.