Former Celtic winger Jota returned to action for Al-Ittihad this weekend and capped his first outing in over a month with a goal.
The Portugal forward had endured a testing time since making the sensational £25m transfer switch from Parkhead in the summer.
Due to registration rules on foreign players Jota was dropped from the Al-Ittihad squad leaving him only playable in the AFC Champions League and in friendlies.
Jota's stunning goal leaves Al-Wehda spellbound in friendly match.pic.twitter.com/xoCVjP19m2
— Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) October 15, 2023
It means Jota faces spells without any competitive football as he is unable to play for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.
That - combined with an injury blow - has meant Jota hasn't featured in a competitive fixture since a 4-3 loss to Al-Hilal on September 1.
However, Jota was back in action for Al-Itiihad on Sunday in a friendly against Al-Wehda. And he popped up with the winning goal in the contest.
In the 1-0 win, Jota controlled in the box well before reversing a shot into the bottom corner from close range.
He then took plaudits from his team-mates in a muted celebration before Al-Ittihad held out for victory.
The strike left fans questioning why he hasn't been a key part of the team since his move and instead left ineligible for the league.
One wrote: "You deprived us of his touches in the league"
And another commented: "Sufficient for those who kept you away"
