Football: 'Adulting' Ikhsan finds his footing in Norway
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."
Apr 20, 2016 · B arcelona bounced back from their worst run of La Liga defeats for 13 years in emphatic fashion as Luis Suarez scored four in an 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo la Coruna on Wednesday. Ivan Rakitic, Lionel Messi, Marc Bartra and Neymar were also on target as Barca reasserted their control on the Spanish title race.
Barça celebrates the 2018/19 LaLiga title at Camp Nou - YouTube
Football News: Two goals from Marko Arnautovic and Ryan Fredericks's first Premier League strike helped West Ham beat Southampton 3-0 at London Stadium on Saturday t
Arnautovic ends drought as West Ham sink Southampton
Football: Super-sub Gray sends Watford into FA Cup semis LONDON (AFP) - Andre Gray came off the bench to fire Watford into the FA Cup semi-finals with the late winner in their 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday (March 16).
Super-sub Andre Gray sends Watford into FA Cup semis
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo fit for Juventus clash with Ajax, says coach Massimiliano Allegri. The return of Ronaldo will be a massive boost as Juventus seek to end their 23-year wait to lift the Champions League trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo fit for Juventus clash with Ajax
Football: Liverpool ease past Bayern 3-1 to reach Champions League last eight. Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk (left) celebrates scoring his side's second goal with team mate Roberto Firmino.
Liverpool ease past Bayern 3-1 to reach last eight | New
Rival fans in Singapore believe title race still wide open
Spanish girls shine, Football News & Top Stories - The
Good afternoon, and welcome to St. Mary's for Mauricio Pochettino's post-match press conference after the 2-1 defeat at Southampton. Dele Alli made his return to training this week, and was put straight into the starting line up by Pochettino, while Kyle Walker-Peters was handed a rare start at right-back with Kieran Trippier missing out through injury and Serge Aurier rested.
The tactic that frustrates a lot of Spurs fans arguably the
Jun 03, 2019 · Liverpool's victory over Tottenham Hotspur to take the Champions League title on Saturday will let the club make another claim: it'll become the first global soccer team to bring in more than
Liverpool TV Income May Top Record 250 Million Pounds After Win
Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group I - Cyprus v Belgium - GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus - March 24, 2019 Belgium's Eden Hazard in action with Cyprus' Kostakis Artymatas and Georgios Efrem
Hazard marks milestone with early goal to help Belgium win
Football: 10-man Arsenal slump in Rennes, Sevilla held, in Europa League RENNES, France (REUTERS) - Arsenal took an early lead but a red card for Sokratis Papastathopoulos changed the game as the Gunners slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Rennes on a night of tightly-contested Europa League last-16 first-leg ties on Thursday (March 7).
Soccer-10-man Arsenal slump in Rennes, Sevilla held - Reuters
A welcome aboard letter serves to confirm the new employee's status and start date and lets them know that they are already an integral part of the team. Letters may include onboarding paperwork, either printed out, attached, or linked to in an email, for example.
Welcoming New Employee Message | FutureofWorking.com
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has cut a deal with a court in Madrid over tax evasion charges, accepting an €18.8m (£16.6m) fine. A huge media presence met the player outside the court
Real Madrid have knocked Manchester United off the top of Deloitte's Football Money League, but the Premier League has still flexed its financial muscle, and all of England's "Big Six
Real Madrid take top spot from Manchester United in 'money
