Football: Ikhsan set to feature in Norway top division with FK Jerv promotion
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Ikhsan Fandi is set to be the first Singaporean to play in the Eliteserien.
PHOTO: FK JERV/JAN SKAREGROM
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SINGAPORE - The Lions may be in the midst of a four-day rest period before their final AFF Suzuki Cup Group A match against Thailand on Saturday (Dec 18), but early Thursday morning, striker Ikhsan Fandi was sweating as his club FK Jerv were locked in a battle against SK Brann in a playoff for a place in the Norwegian top division.
Finally at about 5am, the 22-year-old striker could let go a sigh of relief as Jerv won 8-7 on penalties to earn promotion to the top tier for the first time, which also meant Ikhsan is set to be the first Singaporean to play in the Eliteserien.
He said: "I feel so happy and proud of my club for securing promotion and I'm looking forward to featuring and playing well against the big boys in the Eliteserien next season."
The 1.83m attacker, who has 22 caps and 10 goals for Singapore, started playing in Norway when he joined Raufoss IL in 2019. The following season he agreed terms to play for Jerv until the end of 2022.
In three years of Norwegian football, he has scored 16 goals in 77 games, averaging a goal every 199 minutes.
At the ongoing Asean Football Federation Championship on home soil, he grabbed a brace in Singapore's 3-0 win over Myanmar on Dec 5 as his team went on to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time since they won their fourth title in 2012.
