No Portuguese football stars, but Fernandes makes up for absence

It’s a homecoming he dreamt of. Brandon Fernandes left the Goan shores in search of greener pastures in South Africa as a 17-year-old amateur footballer. After two successful years with ASD Cape Town in the South African second division, which has put him on radar of a few English clubs already, India’s brightest young player has returned for his first competitive match at home.

And following the last-minute pull-outs by giants Portugal and Brazil, which dampened the spirits of this football-crazy state, Fernandes has become the star attraction of the football tournament of the Lusofonia Games. He is the face of the Games; ‘Brand’ Fernandes, as the locals say. “It’s very exciting, actually intimidating. At times, it (attention and expectations) gets too much. But I am learning to balance it,” he says, ahead of Goa-India’s first match against Mozambique on Monday evening.

Fernandes came to prominence with the Salgaocar Juniors during the Manchester United Soccer Skills Competition at the Manchester United Premier Cup in summer 2009. He impressed South Africans ASD Cape Town FC, whom he joined in 2010 and now plays in the South African Second Division League. ASD Cape Town follows a model through which they co-opt and train a player for free and make him ‘club ready.’ They then recover the money by transferring the player to a top club. If his management company is to be believed, the player is ‘very close’ to signing a deal with a European club.

His sweet right foot, precise free-kicks and ability to pick a pass have already won him a lot of admirers in South Africa and Fernandes says he is ready to take a plunge into a tougher, bigger league.

“Playing in South Africa has helped me develop a different perspective to the game. There has to be a natural progression to playing higher level football, it can’t be forced. The jump from Indian to South African football has worked pretty well. The standard and pace of the game has made me a better player and now, I feel I am ready to play in a bigger league, not necessarily Europe, though that’s the ultimate aim,” he says.

Special status

Unlike other Indian footballers, the midfielder enjoys the advantage of having a Portuguese identity card as well. Fernandes is born to a family of Portuguese descent and the country allows the people of its former territories to apply for a Portuguese National Identity Card — called Billet de Indentidadet — that can be used as a travel document within the European Union.

This strong Portuguese connection also makes taking part in Lusofonia Games special for him. He agrees the negativity around the Games has had a toll on him and the team, but insisted they are focused on the task. “Unfortunately, there have been many hurdles in organizing these games. But I hope we can change the mood with our performances,” he says. He realizes this could be the best chance to impress national coach Wim Koevermans.