Brandon Fernandes nets a brace as SRB-ASD beat Ajax Cape Town Academy

Brandon Fernandes provides a Man of the Match
performance agains Ajax Cape Town Academy

Indian U19 midfielder, Brandon Fernandes, made his SAFA 2 league debut on Friday night, scoring twice when his side SRB-ASD beat the infamous Ajax Cape Town in a historical 6-1 win away from home. SRB-ASD (an amalgamation of the ASD Cape Town Academy and Salt River Blackpool Football Club), are now sitting at the top of the league table, and the result has been the talk of social networking sites all weekend.

Fernandes, who just returned from 5 weeks in England, was said to be 'outstanding' by impartial onlookers. He was voted 'man of the match' after scoring 2 goals, and only being denied a hatrick when his third goal was disallowed for a dubious offside.

ASD Director Mike Steptoe said: "The tempo was typical of live or die football - no prisoners! SRB-ASD are going from strength to strength at the top of SAFA 2, and it was fantastic for the coaches to be able to include Brandon in the starting eleven - he was deservedly 'man of the match', and in playing in this environment he is gaining invaluable experience. This type of football will help him to build his strength, as it is possibly one of the most aggressive semi-pro leagues in the world!"

It has been much publicised in both Europe and India that Fernandes would be watched at the end of the month by an English Premier League club. Mike Steptoe confirms this was the case: "There has been a huge amount of interest in Brandon, some publicised, and some that has remained behind closed doors. Sharing too much could actually compromise developments at this stage, so it is far better to leave it at that and say that several clubs are continuing to monitor Brandon's progress. It is certainly not a question of 'will he make it?', but rather, 'which club will he join, and when?'. We want the best for all of our graduates, and the club that ultimately benefits from signing Brandon will need to be a good footballing club, with emphasis on development, and of course, excellence. Until then, all at ASD are certainly enjoying Brandon's superb form!"

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About Debraj Banerjee

Hi, I am Debraj Banerjee from Adra, West Bengal. A keen follower of Indian football and always an optimist that the game will get the recognition it truely deserves. What we ask from you is your support and one day the dream might turn true. Fingers crossed for Indian football. Cheers!

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