Postecoglou's gamble and the runner-up top scorer: 5 talents worth watching in the second round of the AFC Champions League Elite
Talented young stars expected to shine in the Saudi under-21 league
Saudi football fans have a date with fresh talent as the second round of the 2026-2027 season kicks off in the Joy Elite League, the Saudi Under-21 League.
The second round runs on Sunday and Monday, 30 and 31 August. One clash has been pushed back to January: title holders Al-Hazem against newly promoted Al-Watan.
Postecoglou's gamble
The round will mark Al-Nassr's first appearance of the current season, as they host Al-Jabalain in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after their opening match against Al-Watan was postponed until 18 December.
Al-Nassr's bow in the Joy Elite League brings back some of the stars who shone last season, so much so that they pushed close to the first team. Chief among them is Saad Haqawi.
Haqawi caught the eye with the Al-Nassr under-21 side last season in the Joy Elite League, yet he was not the team's biggest name. Strong figures like Abdulmalik Al-Jaber and Haidar Abdulkarim stood ahead of him.
With that duo leaving the "Al-Alami" squad this season, Haqawi has taken on a bigger role, especially given the standing he has earned with the first team.
Australian coach Ange Postecoglou picked Haqawi in the Al-Nassr first-team squad for the pre-season training camp in Portugal, and the youngster featured in some matches.
Since the campaign kicked off, the 20-year-old has become a fixture in the Al-Nassr squad across their three Roshn League games, despite not playing. He also came off the bench in the Al-Diriyah tie in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.
Postecoglou is clearly betting on polishing Haqawi's talent again. The midfielder first grabbed attention under Italian coach Stefano Pioli in 2024-2025, when he played 5 matches and set up a goal for Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Now Haqawi must repay that trust, not only with the first team but also as the standout star of the under-21 side in the Joy Elite League, starting with the Al-Jabalain match.
Assem Mohamed
A talent like Haqawi can only shine with a striker capable of turning his clear-cut chances into goals. That is where Assem Mohamed comes in.
Assem finished as Al-Nassr's top scorer last season in the elite under-23 league. He fed off the flair of the skilful players around him and racked up 10 goals across the campaign.
True, the list has lost players of the calibre of Haidar Abdulkarim and Abdulmalik Al-Jaber, which may hurt him. But the team still boasts other talents who can supply him with dangerous chances, among them Saad Haqawi himself, as well as Abdulrahman Sofiani.
Now Assem Mohamed must keep up his attacking brilliance for a second season running, hoping to catch Postecoglou's eye and force his way into a first-team squad that needs another striker alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Mohamed Maran.
Ammar Al-Ghamdi
The same round hands Al-Ittihad striker Ammar Al-Ghamdi a golden chance to open his account in the new Jawwy Elite League season, after he drew a blank in the opening round.
Al-Ittihad kicked off their Saudi Under-21 League campaign with a goalless draw against Damac, the only stalemate in the competition so far, and Al-Ghamdi failed to find the net.
This time the task may look easier. Al-Ittihad face Al-Tadhamon, newly promoted to the Jawwy Elite League, who shipped the heaviest defeat in the competition's history when Al-Ettifaq thrashed them 10-1 in the first round.
That historic collapse propelled Al-Ettifaq striker Mohammed Al-Issa to the top of the Jawwy Elite League scoring charts after the first round, with 4 goals to his name. Al-Ghamdi will look to replicate that and cash in.
His task looks straightforward for more than just the opponent's plight. Al-Ghamdi was in outstanding form last season, scoring 14 goals, including 4 in 4 matches during the knockout rounds, proof of his quality.
En-Nesyri
Al-Ghamdi wasn't the only decisive figure in the knockout rounds. In fact, he was outshone by Cape Verde arrival Jefferson Ramos, better known as "En Ras", with the Al-Fateh striker plundering 6 goals across those rounds.
Those six goals fired Al-Fateh to the final, the only round in which the African failed to find the net. His side lost to Al-Hazem 3-1.
Into the new season, En Ras carried on where he'd left off. He struck 3 goals in Al-Fateh's emphatic 6-0 demolition of Al-Ansar on the opening day.
The hat-trick lifted the Cape Verde arrival to second on the Roshn Saudi Pro League scorers' list after the first round, a single goal behind Al-Ettifaq striker Mohammed Al-Aisi.
Now En Ras wants to keep the run going, form that hasn't dried up since last season, as his side face a tough test against Al-Ahli at their stadium in Jeddah.
Ziyad Aba
The test will be a difficult one for Al-Fateh, but it also sets up an individual duel for Enner Valencia. He shares second place among the scorers in the Saudi Under-21 league with Al-Ahli winger Ziyad Aba.
Aba fired a hat-trick to lead Al-Ahli to a 3-1 win over Al-Feiha, drawing level with Valencia and sitting a goal behind Al-Ittifaq star Mohammed Al-Issa.
That outstanding debut has turned Aba into the great hope for Al-Ahli's fans this season. They are counting on him to spare them a repeat of last season, when the team finished 15th.
Brazilian Ricardo Matias impressed in the second half of last season and scored several important goals, true enough. But Ziyad Aba, a Saudi talent, offers far more to Al-Ahli and to Saudi Arabia in the years to come.
Keeping up that brilliance won't be easy for the young Saudi winger. Al-Fateh are one of six teams who did not concede a goal in the first round of the Joui Elite League, proof of their defensive strength.
