Abdul Fatawu Issahaku says criticism from teammates and fans will not stop him from unleashing long-range efforts, even when the risk is losing possession. The Leicester City winger says his confidence, not outside opinion, is what pushes him to keep shooting whenever the chance comes.
The 22-year-old told the GFA that he knows he has power and trusts himself to use it. That is why he keeps trying from distance, even after teammates question his decision when a shot goes wide or is wasted. He said the same people who complain are often the first to celebrate when one goes in.
Fatawu has built a reputation for testing goalkeepers from range with fierce strikes, which is why his willingness to keep trying draws attention now. For him, the calculation is simple: a long-range attempt can end a move, but it can also change a match in one moment, and he believes the next one could be the difference.
That is also where the friction sits. He said teammates sometimes question him when possession is lost, shouting that he gave the ball away for nothing, but he does not let that change his mindset. He says the criticism does not stay in his head for long because he backs his own ability more than the noise around him.
His confidence does not come only from the pitch. Fatawu described himself as a proud mummy's boy and said he speaks to his mother before and after every match, then hears her break down his performance afterward. He joked that he calls her the coach, and said making her happy makes him even happier.
For Leicester City and the Black Stars, that leaves a player who will keep choosing the bold option whenever it opens up. The open question is not whether he will try again, but which strike finally turns the argument around and makes the risk look worth it.
