Israeli Midfielder Dia Saba Praised Despite Draw

Israeli midfielder Dia Saba played 85 minutes in his team Adanaspor's 2-2 draw against Giresunspor on Sunday, contributing six key passes but no assists. His teammate Gift Orban scored a brace for Adanaspor, including a difficult goal from outside the box.

beIN Sports noted Saba's "amazing passes" but lamented that his teammates, specifically "Mbaye Diagne," failed to capitalize, suggesting "assists were stolen from him." Turkish media continued to praise Saba, calling him a "phenomenal player" and a "maestro" who pushed the team constantly, potentially one of the greatest players Adanaspor has ever had.

Commentators suggested that if Orban, the team's top scorer, had started the match alongside Saba instead of coming on at halftime, the outcome might have been different. They also noted that Saba might not be able to complete 90 minutes.

Turkish outlet FTBL compared Saba's playstyle to James Rodriguez. Adanaspor currently sits third in the league with seven points from four games, having suffered one loss. They are trailing Galatasaray and Besiktas. Saba has matched Mohamed Salah's season record for key passes in the Turkish league, with only four players having more than six key passes this season.