Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Stellenbosch FC playmaker Junior Mendieta continued his devastating goal-scoring form for Al-Faisaly in the Saudi First Division under the tutelage of ex-AmaZulu coach Pablo Franco Martin.

The Argentine talisman opened the scoring in the ninth minute in a 1-1 draw against Jeddah Club on Tuesday evening before the promotion-chasing side pulled one back through Ricardo Caraballo, who was eventually named man of the match.

Mendieta is leaving a lasting impression in the oil-rich kingdom, having now scored in two consecutive matches as he bagged a brace against Al-Jandal a match before to make it three goals in his last two league appearances.

Overall, the 31-year-old has so far scored four goals in 11 matches in the Saudi second-tier. 

Mendieta joined the Harmah-based outfit in January 2025 as a free agent, as he was part of a mass exodus at Greek club Volos FC just six months after signing from Sundowns.

Meanwhile, Martin, who was tasked with steering the team away from the relegation zone when he was appointed in December 2024, will be pleased with his side’s five-game unbeaten run in the league, with three draws and two wins.

The team was in 15th place, level on points with the first relegation spot when the Spanish tactician took over. Now, they are in 13th place with 33 points accumulated – eight points above the first relegation spot.

Martin looks set to save the club from dropping a division down with four games left to play before the season ends. Al Faisaly will host 11th-placed Al-Batin in their next match on Monday before traveling to run away log leaders Neom SC.