SINGAPORE - He may still be some way off his ultimate ambition of playing in a top European league, but Singapore striker Ikhsan Fandi is definitely making progress in the right direction, after scoring his first two goals in Norway's second division for Raufoss IL on May 12 and 16.
And the 20-year-old told The Straits Times he is not just growing in confidence on the pitch, he is also learning life lessons off it.
He said: "In Norway, I'm really adulting! When my brother (Irfan Fandi) and I lived and trained in Chile in 2014 and 2015, there were people taking care of me.
"But now, I'm learning to be independent and I think I'm doing well. The only thing I still don't like to do is laundry and I'm lazy to iron stuff. But overall, it is definitely a good life experience for me."
Home in Raufoss - an 80-minute drive from Norway's capital Oslo - is one of four two-bedroom apartments in a house. Ikhsan shares his apartment with another youngster, 20-year-old defender Parfait Bizoza.
"It's five minutes from our home ground, cosy and just nice for both of us," said Ikhsan. "We get along well. Parfait used to be the only one cooking and I would do more of the cleaning, but now I have learnt to cook simple dishes so I help out too.
"I brought an air fryer, which we don't use much of now, and a rice cooker to Norway. We usually eat rice, salmon with some sauce, or chicken pasta, and Parfait makes lasagne and tacos sometimes."
Â
Â
Â
While he is starting to catch the eye with some sharp finishes - his first was a dramatic bicycle-kick winner in the 3-2 away victory over Skeid, and his second was a towering header in the 5-2 home defeat by Sandnes Ulf - Ikhsan picked functional over flashy for his ride, with the Volkswagen Golf.
He said: "There is not much to do in Raufoss itself as it is a small municipal centre. There is a bowling centre and cinema 10 minutes away in the larger town Gjovik, but I usually stay home to watch drama series like Game of Thrones or play video games.
"Sometimes, we would drive about five minutes to my teammates Oskar Loken and Thierry Dabove's place to play Fortnite."
With many of the 7,000 Raufoss inhabitants now familiar with Ikhsan's name - the 2,500-capacity Nammo Stadion is almost full for home games - it seems like the Raufoss No. 18 has taken to Norwegian football like fish to water, or like a salmon surging upstream.
The environment certainly helps. With little distraction in Raufoss, Ikhsan is able to focus on becoming better.
Typically, his team play one league match a week, usually on a Sunday. The next day is spent on recovery, and the following day is the only day off. They will then spend the four days before the match training and preparing for the game. These sessions are under two hours and once a week, they have double sessions. In addition to the Nammo Stadion, which is laid with a top-grade artificial pitch, Raufoss also has an indoor arena for training during winter.
Ikhsan said: "Once the season starts, we also go to the gym on our own. After each training session, I will stay behind and do extra shooting and heading. I always want to improve my finishing and composure.
"Raufoss are a young team in which everyone wants to improve and everyone is pushing each other to become better."
Since arriving in Raufoss for trials and signing a two-year deal in January, Ikhsan has done well to chalk off quite a few milestones, including making seven league appearances - all off the bench - amid wintry conditions to make an impression.
There are more on his to-do list, such as earning his first league start, scoring 10 goals to help his team stay in the Obos-ligaen, and attracting the attention of bigger clubs.
Ikhsan said: "The Obos-ligaen is a high-intensity and very physical league with many skilful players. I still play as a striker in the team, so I don't think I have changed my style too much. I just have to work harder to win the duels and get to the ball first. It's little things like these that sometimes prove to be the difference.
"The main differences between the football here and in Singapore are the quality and intensity. The players here are stronger, and most of them have good technique and first touch.
"But some things don't change. As a striker, scoring goals is the most important thing. I also try to help my team by holding the ball well, providing link-up play, and making good movements to create space for my team.
"Of course, I was anxious and eager to prove myself as quickly as I can, and I'm happy and relieved to have scored my first goals for the club. I will continue to work hard to become the best footballer I can be and hopefully go on to have a fruitful career for club and country."
MADRID • A first trophy in seven years for Liverpool, and a first win in seven finals for Jurgen Klopp. The European Cup headed back to Anfield for the sixth time yesterday and their manager is confident there is much more to come, warning the rest of football's big boys that "this is still only the start".
Jurgen Klopp Vows 'It's Only the Start' for His Liverpool
Mbappe reaches half century as PSG brush Nimes aside February 23, 2019 Huffington News Huffington News Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain v Nimes Olympique - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - February 23, 2019 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe scores their third goal REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Nimes - Football Match Report
Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina out of hospital after head injury scare Description: Ospina played for six years with French club Nice before joining Arsenal in 2014. He arrived at Napoli last August on a one-year loan with an option to buy.
Napoli 'keeper Ospina out of hospital after head injury scare
Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina remains under observation in hospital but is improving after his frightening collapse following a knock to the head in an Italian league game at the weekend, his
Napoli 'keeper Ospina out of hospital after head injury scare
Juve's old guard bidding to finish off Ajax kids. Cristiano Ronaldo will spearhead Juventus' old guard as they look to finish the job on Tuesday against Ajax's impressive young guns in a
Football: Juventus's old guard bidding to finish job against
Harry Kane has revealed his plans to swap football for American football, and end his sporting career as a kicker in the NFL. The England captain has made no secret of his passion for the US sport
Saswa eyes SPL title glory. Ex-Singapore international Saswadimata Dasuki, who won the Malaysia Cup with the Lions in 1994, has been appointed the new head coach of Home United. The 49-year-old
Saswa eyes SPL title glory - theworldnews.net
This is the narrative at the heart of the gender discrimination lawsuit the United States women's national football team filed on Friday against the sport's national governing body, US Soccer. In nearly every sport, gender disparities in pay and working conditions are rampant.
Women's national team sues U.S. Soccer, wants equal pay - UPI.com
Marouane Fellaini has left Manchester United to join Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng on a permanent deal. Fellaini, 31, travelled to China on Thursday to discuss personal terms - having
Football: Marouane Fellaini leaves Man United for China's
Jose Mourinho says he has rejected three job offers since his sacking by Manchester United before aiming a dig at his former club over transfers. Mourinho was dismissed for the third time in
Jose Mourinho reveals deadline for return to football after
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes all the Premier League's title hopefuls have problems to overcome, apart from leaders Manchester City. The Reds ended a run of three league matches without a
Liverpool is ready to fight Man City for the title, Klopp Insists
The Manchester City Football School program is packed full of activities to keep the students occupied and entertained during their stay. On a typical day, the children will have breakfast at the residence before taking a private bus to the training grounds of Manchester City Football Club.
Manchester City FC | Official Website, Latest News, Players
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen