Fofana: Al Ettifaq's midfield engine as Al Nassr come to town

When Al Nassr travel east to Dammam to face an undefeated Al Ettifaq this weekend, a familiar face will greet them on the other side.

The two teams last met last December, in Riyadh, where hosts Al Nassr ran out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic and - who else? - Cristiano Ronaldo. Also in the starting XI that day, wearing Al Nassr yellow, was Ivorian international Seko Fofana, who partnered Brozovic in a powerful midfield pairing.

Fast forward 10 months, however, and Fofana has swapped yellow for green; he sits now as an indispensable part of Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq having joined initially on loan in the January transfer window at the beginning of the year.

It’s been an impressive start to the new Roshn Saudi League season for Gerrard’s side, who have won their opening three games for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, when they triumphed in seven of their first 10, going undefeated across that same period.

If Al Ettifaq manage to secure the points against Ronaldo’s side on Friday, in the middle round of Matchweek 4 fixtures, it will also mark their longest winning streak since they last claimed four-in-a-row across October and November of 2012.

Central to it all has been the early season form of Fofana. Deployed predominantly in a midfield three, he was excelling there most recently on Saturday, alongside captain Georginio Wijnaldum and Vitinho in Al Ettifaq's 2-1 win against Al Fateh.

Having been deemed surplus to requirements by Luis Castro at Al Nassr, Gerrard wasted no time in bringing Fofana back to Dammam in August, renewing the loan deal. Repaying the manager’s faith, the Cote d’Ivoire international has found a new lease of life under the Liverpool legend.

While Fofana’s integration into the Al Ettifaq squad was interrupted by the African Cup of Nations earlier this year - he helped his national team to the continental crown - once he found his groove for club, he displayed the type of form that made him so sought after in the first place.

Before arriving in Saudi Arabia, Fofana enjoyed two standout seasons as captain of Lens in France’s Ligue 1. Named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year for both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, he amassed an impressive 15 goals across two campaigns as a central midfielder.

That followed four equally impressive seasons in Serie A for Udinese before he, somewhat surprisingly, swapped Serie A for the newly promoted Ligue 1 club.

Fofana clearly saw something others didn’t, however, and two seasons later entrusted with the armband, he guided Lens to a remarkable season in which they only narrowly missed out on an unexpected Ligue 1 title, finishing a solitary point behind powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain.

Fofana’s impressive form saw him squarely on the radar last summer of clubs higher up the traditional food chain in France, while AC Milan and Newcastle United were reportedly interested in his signature, too. Instead, Fofana joined the growing band of international stars to head to the RSL, signing for Al Nassr in July last year.

He said the same “instinct” that convinced him transfer to newly promoted Lens in 2020, and thus shunning offers from clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League, was the same sensation that saw him accept the move to Saudi Arabia.

While things may not have worked out as planned in Riyadh, Fofana is more than making a go of it in Dammam. Manager Gerrard, one of the finest midfielders of his generation, knows a thing or two about playing in the middle of the park and took an immediate liking to Fofana - so much so that he ensured the initial six-month loan deal was extended for a further season.

The highlight of Fofana’s time at Al Ettifaq so far was undoubtedly his long-range stunner to open the scoring in a 5-0 rout of defending champions Al Ittihad in Jeddah in May. Some might even call it “Gerrard-esque”; collecting the ball 30 yards from goal, the Ivorian took a touch before unleashing a thunderbolt into the bottom corner.

Pumping his fists above his head, Gerrard knew he had witnessed something special.

“We’ve just seen a 25-yeard screamer,” the Englishman exclaimed after the game. “Don’t mention any of the other players, it was all about Seko Fofana. It was a fantastic goal. I’m going to go back and watch it again. I loved it.”

What Gerrard will also be loving this season is the strength of his midfield, with Fofana and Wijnaldum striking up a forceful partnership at the heart of the team. Former sparring partners in France, when Wijnaldum was at PSG, together they provide a solid anchor in the middle of the pitch, able to shield the defence but instigate and join the attack going the other way.

This weekend, they catch an Al Nassr side that has made a stuttering start to the 2024-25 season, with last term's runners-up registering one win from their opening three outings. Fofana, loyalties firmly on the opposite side of the tunnel this Friday, may feel he has an additional point to prove.