N'Golo Kante scores superb first Al-Ittihad goal vs Al Fateh | OneFootball

N'Golo Kante scored his first goal for Al Ittihad on Thursday night, and it was an absolute screamer that won them the game. The result saw his new side regain their place at the top of the Saudi Pro League with 18 points from seven games, one point ahead of Al Hilal - who are seen as their biggest challengers.

The French midfielder was one of many Premier League stars to swap the English top flight for a spell in the Middle East, as he joined on a free transfer upon the expiry of his Chelsea contract. Injuries ruined the final couple of years the 32-year-old's time in England after becoming one of the best central midfielders the division has seen.

Winning league titles with Chelsea and Leicester City in his first season with each side show the quality he brought to any team he played for, with a World Cup success in 2018 also at the top of his CV. While Kante was a brilliant player in the engine room, with plenty of energy and technical ability, he was never a prolific goalscorer from the middle of the park.

Anyone could be fooled into thinking the Frenchman was an expert when it came to finding the back of the net after seeing his first goal for Al Ittihad against Al Fateh on Thursday.

N'Golo Kante scores world-class goal in Saudi Pro League

Kante and his teammates faced an uphill battle after falling a goal behind at home against the team that currently sit in seventh place in the table, but two goals before half-time were enough to turn the game on it's head and wrap up the three points.

The first of those comeback goals came through Brazilian attacker, Romarinho, who drew his side level before witnessing his new teammate score a sensational goal. With the scoreline being level and the half-time break approaching, Kante was quick to latch onto a loose ball at the edge of the penalty area.

His first couple of touches were as good as it gets, as the former Leicester City man skipped past the challenge of the opposition player before setting himself up beautifully to take on the strike. What came next was jaw-dropping as Kante rifled a bullet of a shot into the top corner via the underside of the crossbar.

It was a stunning strike that he celebrated in ice-cold fashion with very little emotion shown after finding the back of the net. His teammates were quick to surround and congratulate him, with many in awe of what they had just seen. The goal was worthy of winning any match, and it did just that as Al Ittihad saw out the win in the second half.

What next for Kante and Al Ittihad?

A cup game against Al Kholood is on the horizon for the 32-year-old and his team early next week, before a trip to Al Feiha in the Saudi Pro League only days later. Only a week later than that, there is a big game on the agenda with Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin making the trip to Al Ittihad with Al-Ahli in a highly anticipated clash.