Elkan Baggott became the first Indonesian to score in the EFL Cup after he had scored Ipswich Town’s consolation goal in their 3-1 fourth round exit at home to Fulham on Wednesday night.
Taking on Premier League opposition in the form of Marco Silva’s Fulham, Ipswich – currently second in this season’s EFL Championship – deployed a slightly altered lineup compared to the previous rounds that resembled their lineup for league matches, with Elkan, who usually operated in defense throughout Ipswich’s EFL Cup campaign, being placed on the bench.
Fulham immediately showed their class as the favorites of the tie, with Harry Wilson making it 1-0 after nine minutes, before Rodrigo Muniz increased the Cottagers’ lead in the 50th minute.
Elkan was introduced in the 60th minute by Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, only for the Tractor Boys to concede a third goal in the 77th minute through Tom Cairney. However, two minutes later, the Indonesia international finally got himself in the thick of the action. A Jack Taylor corner was met by a thumping header from Elkan that went straight into Marek Rodak’s goal.
The goal did not prevent Ipswich’s exit from this season’s EFL Cup, but it did provide Elkan with an important confidence boost. The defender was a regular for Ipswich’s cup matches but has yet to play in any of the Tractor Boys’ league games, but Elkan’s superb performance in Ipswich’s defeat could give Kieran some food for thought. Perhaps, in the near future, Elkan would become the first Indonesian to play in the Championship and if all goes well for Ipswich, he could become the first Indonesian to play in the Premier League.