PANJIM: Noah Sadaoui has traversed four continents in his football sojourn.
The 28-year-old Moroccan now finds himself in FC Goa, his passion unfettered and commitment unrelenting.
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He shared his thoughts and dreams in an online media conference during which he underlined vital aspects of his remarkable experience as a player in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA to where his family migrated when he was 11.
A right-winger, Sadaoui, explained his reasons to travel to FC Goa. “I felt wanted. I got to learn about the goals the club wanted to achieve The coach was eager that I come here. That made me feel very comfortable. ,” he said.
It was a culmination of a roughly two year period from when FC Goa first spoke to Sadaoui. It didn’t work out on the first essay but there was denying the tryst that got him here eventually for the 2022-23 season.
It’s yet another stop in the Moroccan international’s journey. He has plied his trade as a professional at Maccabi Haifa in Israel, Ajax Cape Town in South Africa, Miami United FC in Florida, USA, Real Espana in Honduras, Al-Khaburah in Oman and AS FAR in his native Morocco.
As to how difficult it is to adjust to different cultures and climes, Sadaoui said, “As a professional footballer you never know where you land up.
“Adjustment…. . a lot of people can’t make it. After all it’s differenct cultures and scenarios.
“I’m adjusting well in Goa. People here are helpful and welcoming and that helps me and my family. And there’s no culture shock,” he said.
When it comes to football proper, Sadaoui has been easing into routine. “There’s laughing and joking around and that will help in the long run,” he said.
“The coaches here are great and we have time till October 7 when the season starts to get things together.”
Sadaoui had pitch time in the African Championship in 2020 which Morocco won. He has donned the national colours four times and given that representing your nation is a player’s dream, does he feel his stint with FC Goa in India will hamper chances of him doing so again?
“Often it happens that when you least expect it, you get invited to the national team. But my focus is on FC Goa now. I want to make a difference and help them win titles,” he said.
“And I certainly don’t belittle the ISL.”
Sadaoui believes that Morocco, the country of his birth, contributed the most to his development as a player.
“But, every country I played in shaped my career. I learned from different coaches and tactics they used.”
Sadaoui also credits US soccer for much of his development. “I played schools and college football and then attended the New York Red Bulls academy,” he said.
“Most of all, I can see the hunger in the players for success. The foreign players are hungry. The coach, a former FC Goa player is also very hungry to win.
“It’s this hunger that makes us eager for training which is why I think we’ll do well,” Sadaoui said.
And perhaps it’s this hunger that could turn a disadvantage around. FC Goa don’t play a home match a month into the ISL. But Sadaoui is not too perturbed. “We shouldn’t put that into our heads. After all we can only control what we can. We must be solid and work hard and it shouldn’t matter whether we play home or away,” he said.
