x/EttifaqSaA new round of the Jameel League for the elite is upon us, and with it come the fresh talents fans have been waiting to see, their magic spreading across the stadiums of the Kingdom.
The eighth round kicks off tomorrow, Sunday, and runs over two days. It may witness the birth of new talents capable of carrying the banner of Saudi football for years to come.
The fixture everyone's waiting for is the top-of-the-table clash between Al-Hilal and Al-Fateh at the capital club's stadium in Riyadh.
Young talent runs through both squads. The pick of the bunch is the striker who arrived from Cape Verde, Jefferson Ramos, now third in the competition's scoring charts with 6 goals.
Ramos's gifts are plain to see, but Al-Fateh have another magician in their ranks, a player whose decisive passes helped the African striker onto the scoresheet this season.
That man is Montaser Al-Shaqaq. He has created 3 goals in the current Saudi Under-21 League campaign, placing him third among the competition's top assist providers.
A match against a side the size of Al-Hilal is the perfect stage for any player to show what he can do, and Al-Shaqaq has the talent to seize it.
But neither the magic of Montaser Al-Shaqaq nor the goalscoring talent of Jefferson Ramos will find the path to Al-Hilal's goal an easy one. Not with the brilliant Abdullah Al-Ghamdi standing in the way.
Al-Hilal attack, dominate their rivals and fill the net. Yet they still need an alert goalkeeper to guard their territory from opposition counter-attacks.
Al-Ghamdi has done that job superbly this season in the Roshn Saudi Pro League. No goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets, with three to his name.
Across six matches, Al-Hilal have conceded just six goals, a rate of one per game. That gives them the third strongest defence behind Al-Ittihad and Al-Khaleej.
Against Al-Fateh, Al-Ghamdi carries a huge responsibility: denying Jefferson Ramos his goalscoring bites and keeping a clean sheet for the fourth time this season.
Another heavyweight clash lights up the eighth round of the Joy Elite League, with fifth-placed Al-Ittifaq taking on sixth-placed Al-Taawoun.
Al-Taawoun are still feeling the loss of striker Bassem Al-Oraini, last season's top scorer in the Joy Elite League, who stepped up to the first team this season in the Roshn League.
The "Sugar of Al-Qassim" appear to have found their replacement, though. Abdulmajeed Sharif has stepped into the void, firing in 4 goals so far this season in the Saudi Under-21 League.
Those goals put Al-Sharif eighth in the competition's scoring charts, just one behind the trio on 5.
Now Abdulmajeed Sharif wants a big performance against Al-Ittifaq to keep his bid for the Golden Boot alive.
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At Al-Ettifaq, all eyes will be on Mohammed Al-Issa, top scorer in the current edition of the Roshn Saudi League Elite with 8 goals. But another star led the team's scoring charts before Al-Issa arrived.
Step forward Jalal Al-Salem. He finished as Al-Ettifaq's top scorer last season in the Saudi Under-21 League, chasing the competition's golden boot right into the final stages.
His eye for goal may have faded this season, yet another instinct lurks behind it, one no less valuable: the ability to create.
Nobody has contributed more to goals in this season's Roshn Saudi League Elite than Al-Salem, who has racked up 4 assists. He'll surely be dreaming of a fifth, and perhaps a goal of his own, in a tough test against Al-Taawoun.
Jalal Al-Salem doesn't sit alone atop the assist charts this season in the Roshn Saudi League. Another Al-Qadsiah wizard shares the summit with him: Mohannad Al-Qudaibi.
Al-Qadsiah unearthed several standout performers last season, particularly in attack. Al-Qudaibi now looks set to be the eastern club's chief creator this time around.
A golden chance awaits him too. Al-Qudaibi can show off his magic in a tough test against Al-Nassr, away at their stadium in Riyadh.
Al-Nassr have struggled visibly since the campaign began, especially at the back. They have shipped 7 goals in 5 matches, handing Al-Qudaibi the perfect platform to shine in a game of this size.