They say left rooted players are mainly gifted and can torment opponents on their day. Well that is true for Fortune Football Club’s mesmerizing and box-to-box left-sided midfielder Lamin Saidykhan who goes by his sobriquet “Lefoe”. He authored one of the goals of the season on Friday, scoring a delightful free-kick from 30 yards that even Lionel Messi with all his magic set pieces would be proud of.
This beautifully crafted goal was enough to secure the newly promoted first division side all three points to move to fifth on the table. There is an extra beauty and motivation attached to it as it came against their bitter rivals, Brikama United, a result that also dented a serious blow on the ‘Sateba’ Boys’ tittle aspirations as they dropped to third on the 14-team table.
“It was a phenomenal moment. It was like an everlasting affection. I was smiling throughout. Scoring against a rival and a team like Brikama United in a derby game; the moment was extraordinary magnificent,” ‘Lefoe’ was quoted as saying to the Club’s official Facebook page this week.
Possessing a bag full of skills, trickery, agile and determined, the young midfielder is a rare gem who has a great career ahead of him. The Yundum born player had many top clubs queuing for his signature but it is at the Petroleum Boys where his heart lies. However, that may be just temporal because on this form and with similar performances to the one at Bakau’s Independence Stadium on Friday night, the only certainty is that the big boys will again come calling.
“Many clubs were interested in me but my heart chooses Fortune. The team is in my heart, so I followed my heart and signed for Fortune. I’ll do all I can on the pitch to see to it that this team progresses in its endeavours,” Lefoe affirmed.
“I’m really feeling loved, motivated and encouraged by my teammates, the technical side and the management. They show me love on and off the pitch. I am really fortunate to know a caring and a respectful president of the Club. I am really enjoying my moment in the club.”
He is one of the pillars of the club and has endeared himself to the hearts of many football lovers within and outside of Farato, Yundum and Busumbala. He is a player that the fans would always pay to watch and the nightmarish experiences he gives established defenders in the league is a joy to watch. Indeed, Fortune and Gambian football have a rare gem in hand as a new star is born and his name is ‘Lefoe’ Saidykhan.